A surprising factor may affect your sleep

Did you have a blanket during childhood? If you had this beloved object, you probably know that for you and anyone who had one, it is almost impossible to fall asleep without it. So much so that some parents buy a double blanket to ensure they never end up without it. But although trickery can be useful, it is not always effective. In the same way that it is almost impossible to wash the comforter, despite a clear necessity, having a brand new comforter does not have the same flavor. And for good reason, something is missing, its smell.

Whether it’s your scent, theirs, that of their bed or the house, there is that something extra that allows you to sleep more peacefully. What if smells still had an influence on our sleep as adults?

Partner-related sleep

While we might assume that everyone in a relationship sleeps in the same bed, more and more couples choose to have separate bedrooms. No more snoring that prevents you from sleeping, late waking up, poorly distributed blankets or lack of space… Despite the love that partners have for each other, they prefer to have separate rooms to prioritize their sleep. However, it could be that sleeping with your loved one also has its advantages. In a study published in the journal Psychological ScienceMarlise K. Hofer and Frances S. Chen were interested in the impact of partner odor on sleep quality.

To verify the link between the smell of your loved one and sleep, the two researchers conducted an experiment. During the four-night study, 155 participants with a history of healthy sleep were asked to wear a sleep tracking bracelet and sleep alone for the duration. Each night, participants had to replace the pillowcase with a different t-shirt. Two of them were unscented t-shirts or control t-shirts worn by a stranger and the other two had already been carried by their romantic partner. Each morning, participants rated the quality of their sleep.

The impact of smell on sleep quality

The results suggest that sleeping with your partner’s scent, even without knowing it, affected sleep quality. The experiment revealed a surprising improvement in sleep between nights without perfume or with control t-shirts and nights spent with t-shirts previously worn by their partner.

Partner’s odor improves sleep efficiency, but people don’t notice it, the researchers explain. “Exposure to partner’s odor led to an increase in sleep efficiency of more than 2% in average, an improvement similar to the effect of melatonin on sleep », They explain. This study could provide keys to couples who have difficulty coping with even short-term separations. “For the traveler, pack your partner’s worn sweatshirt; For the person at home, switch pillows and use your partner’s for the night, suggests psychologist Theresa E. DiDonato. Psychology Today. By sleeping in the presence of your partner’s scent, you will both be able to get a better night’s sleep. »