Sleep tight: exploring the relationship between sleep and attachment style across the life span
- PMID: 24721278
- DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.03.002
Sleep tight: exploring the relationship between sleep and attachment style across the life span
Abstract
Based on early life experiences in which developmental, genetic, and environmental components interact, humans learn to trust themselves and others and connect emotionally in consistent ways that are broadly defined as "attachment styles." These relatively stable patterns of interpersonal interaction are associated with either vulnerability to various health risks or resilience. Similarly, the mechanisms involved in sleep regulation undergo developmental changes that overlap temporally with attachment formation and remain sensitive to a series of biological, environmental and psychological influences. Interestingly, while sleep has been conceptualized as a fundamental attachment behavior given its dyadic context, few studies have explored its relationship with attachment style in various ages. We present the first systematic review of the published literature examining the relationship between attachment style and sleep in humans across the life span. While levels of evidence and methods of assessment vary significantly, the results suggest a possible life-long relationship between individual attachment style and sleep. These findings are particularly useful in understanding relatively ingrained psychological mechanisms that can affect and be affected by sleep. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Keywords: Attachment style; Attachment theory; Sleep.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Trust in the medical profession and patient attachment style.Psychol Health Med. 2016 Oct;21(7):863-70. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2015.1120328. Epub 2015 Dec 11. Psychol Health Med. 2016. PMID: 26652310
-
Attachment and the processing of social information across the life span: theory and evidence.Psychol Bull. 2011 Jan;137(1):19-46. doi: 10.1037/a0021367. Psychol Bull. 2011. PMID: 21219056
-
[Evolution in styles of romantic and interpersonal attachment in depressed adult women during hospitalization].Encephale. 2012 Oct;38(5):381-9. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2011.08.003. Epub 2011 Oct 26. Encephale. 2012. PMID: 23062451 French.
-
Attachment-related psychodynamics.Attach Hum Dev. 2002 Sep;4(2):133-61. doi: 10.1080/14616730210154171. Attach Hum Dev. 2002. PMID: 12467506 Review.
-
Attachment among older adults: current issues and directions for future research.Attach Hum Dev. 2001 Sep;3(2):200-21. doi: 10.1080/14616730126485. Attach Hum Dev. 2001. PMID: 11708737 Review.
Cited by
-
High Heart Rate Variability Buffers the Effect of Attachment Insecurity on Sleep Quality.Psychosom Med. 2024 May 1;86(4):349-358. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001295. Epub 2024 Mar 4. Psychosom Med. 2024. PMID: 38446714
-
Psychosocial determinants of sleep difficulties in adolescence: the role of perceived support from family, peers, and school in an Italian HBSC sample.Eur J Pediatr. 2023 Jun;182(6):2625-2634. doi: 10.1007/s00431-023-04934-0. Epub 2023 Mar 23. Eur J Pediatr. 2023. PMID: 36952019 Free PMC article.
-
Attachment to Mother and Father, Sleep, and Well-Being in Late Middle Childhood.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 15;20(4):3399. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043399. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023. PMID: 36834099 Free PMC article.
-
Perspectives on interpersonal touch are related to subjective sleep quality.J Sleep Res. 2023 Jun;32(3):e13766. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13766. Epub 2022 Nov 9. J Sleep Res. 2023. PMID: 36351704 Free PMC article.
-
Determinants of natural adult sleep: An umbrella review.PLoS One. 2022 Nov 7;17(11):e0277323. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277323. eCollection 2022. PLoS One. 2022. PMID: 36342936 Free PMC article. Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources