Fall Asleep after Sex, Why?
You share the same interests with your partner. You make each other laugh. And you fall asleep after sex. The last point turns out to be an important indicator of intimacy, according to a recent U.S. study. Researchers at the University of Michigan and Albright College in Pennsylvania found those whose partners tend to fall asleep first after sex are more into post-coital cuddling and chatting.
“The more one’s partner was likely to fall asleep after sex, the stronger the desire for bonding,” researcher Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan said in a press release.
The researchers noted that period of time after sex can be important for couples to bond and establish their commitment to each other.
Their study, published in the December issue of the Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology, examined the responses of more than 450 online survey participants. The participants were asked a number of questions about their relationships, including, who falls asleep first after sex, and about their expressions of bonding, affection and communication.
The researchers found women rated sleeping with their partner after sex as more important than men did, and that women tended to be the ones to initiate sharing some shut-eye.
“Sleeping together may be an anti-philandering strategy that reduces the likelihood of abandonment,” the researchers said.
They also suggested that falling asleep before one’s partner could be a “non-conscious mechanism” to stave off any conversations about commitment after sex. In other words, it could shield you from seeing your partner in a negative light.
“If men actively avoid commitment promises in post-coital conversation, this could increase the likelihood of women ending the relationship due to perceptions of undesirable partner characteristics and/or uncertainty about the future of the relationship,” the researchers wrote. “Hastening sleep onset may evade this adverse effect.”
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