Elsey · Journal of sleep research 2019 · observational daily diary study · n=179 couples

The role of couple sleep concordance in sleep quality: Attachment as a moderator of associations.

Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study

Observational daily diary cohort study

PubMed 30790373 · doi:10.1111/jsr.12825 · record verified 2026-08-26

What was done

A sample of 179 cohabiting heterosexual couples completed daily sleep diaries and surveys measuring attachment security, avoidance, and anxiety. Multilevel modeling was used to assess associations between sleep concordance (time in bed with partners), attachment styles, and subjective sleep quality.

What was found

The abstract reports directional findings without providing numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values. Greater attachment security and lower attachment avoidance were associated with greater subjective sleep quality. Greater sleep concordance was associated with better subjective sleep quality among women with lower attachment security and higher attachment avoidance.

Why it matters

This study suggests that interpersonal factors like attachment security moderate the relationship between bed sharing and sleep quality, potentially benefiting women with less secure attachment.

Limits

No quantitative data, effect sizes, or statistical values are reported in the abstract. Sleep quality and concordance were assessed entirely by self-report diaries rather than objective measures like actigraphy or polysomnography. The sample was restricted to heterosexual cohabiting couples, and the observational design precludes causal inference.