Impact of sleep loss on relationships

Although there are individual differences in sleep needs, most people need seven to eight hours of sleep at night to function optimally, and anyone who sleeps only four to five hours each night will experience some loss of performance. Sleep loss hinders your ability to accurately interpret the emotions of others and identify what they’re feeling. Specifically, sleep loss impacts your ability to interpret the emotions anger and happiness expressed in the faces of others, making it difficult to interact effectively and communicate clearly with the people around you, reducing one’s ability to maintain good relationships.

For tips on how to improve your sleep quality or length, check out HPRC’s Sleep Optimization section, and for tips on strengthening your relationships, check out HPRC’s Family & Relationships domain.