That you spontaneously start yawning and dozing when you are with you significant other doesn’t mean your romance is dull. On the contrary. If you are sleepy in the presence of your partner, this has a lot of good things for your relationship.
Psychotherapist Tasha Bailey latches on Glamor UK explains that it is actually a sign of a healthy and pleasant relationship. So think about that the next time you or your partner drift off mid-movie. Would you rather stay active? Here we explain why it is also good to plan outings with your partner, instead of crashing on the couch.
What exactly does it mean when you’re sleepy around your partner?
The fact that you quickly fall asleep with your loved one means that you feel safe and comfortable. “When we feel secure and comfortable with a partner, it can activate our body to feel so safe that we might fall asleep,” explains Tasha Bailey. “The feeling of safety activates the parasympathetic part of our nervous system (which is the part that is in charge when we feel relaxed). Our pupils dilate, our breath gets deeper and our heart rate drops as our body slowly unwinds. This means that our body is preparing itself for rest, which is why we might find ourselves falling asleep easily with our partner.’‘
The chemical process inside
How we feel is determined by a complicated chemistry of substances and hormones in your body. Simply put, when we are with someone we love and trust, love hormones are released that promote relaxation, well-being and sleep.
One of these hormones is oxycotin, also known as the cuddle hormone. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that occurs when we feel happy. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that occurs when we feel happy. Finally, there is dopamine, which we certainly feel in the presence of someone we love. As all these chemicals flow through our body, our body has permission from our mind to relax and rest. And that immediately explains the sleepy feeling.
