Predictors of Self-reported Need for Less Sleep Among Partnered Young Adults in the First Two Years of Romantic love

A body of research has developed around sleep variations and romantic love. No clear understanding of the factors which are associated with specific sleep variations in people experiencing romantic love has been developed. This study investigated possible predictors of self-reported need for less sleep since falling in love among an international sample of young adults experiencing romantic love. We hypothesized that demographic characteristics, romantic love characteristics, hypomanic-like features, and frequency of sexual activity would be associated with the self-reported need for less sleep. Using binary logistic regression, we found that intensity of romantic love, hypomanic-like features, and frequency of sex were positively associated with the self-reported need for less sleep in our sample. The findings are consistent with theorizing from sleep and romantic love researchers and suggest that the need for less sleep may be a byproduct of romantic love, rather than one of the many adaptations associated with the motivational state. This study provides an important incremental step in understanding sleep variations in people experiencing romantic love.