Must-Read: Why You Fight

Here’s the thing about relationships: They are difficult work. Anyone that says otherwise really hasn’t been in a satisfying or long-lasting relationship. After the first few bits of utter love and craziness, when you’re at the point where you’re leaving the bathroom door open and farting around each other and starting to learn the most annoying parts about each other, that’s when things start to get a little testy. After the honeymoon period is over is when the TRUE relationship starts. And, as so many of us have found out, this is when fights start occurring.

However, there may be an additional reason why couples fight with each other, and it has very little to do with annoying differences you have with each other. It may have to do with one of the most common things in your life. According to Men’s Health, the answer has to do with how you two act in the bedroom. But not for the reasons that you would think:

After recording how well couples slept, scientists asked partners to talk through conflicts, rate each other?s emotions, and try to solve an argument in 5 minutes. Turns out couples lacking ZZZs were less accurate at gauging feelings and more likely to be in a bad mood throughout the day, making resolving arguments more difficult.

Previous research has demonstrated that when you miss sleep, your amygdala?the brain area responsible for emotions?runs wild with negative thoughts.

So maybe switch out that mattress, or get yourself checked for sleep apnea, or work on your sleep in other capacities. Because, as we’ve espoused over and over in this area, there is virtually nothing more important in your life than sleeping. Without it, you can actually die.