Associations between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults: A systematic review

Anna L. Dueren; Rotem Perach; Jasmine F.M. Banissy; Natalie C. Bowling; Alice M. Gregory; Michael J. Banissy

doi:10.1111/jsr.13504

Associations between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults: A systematic review

Anna L. Dueren^*
, Rotem Perach
, Jasmine F.M. Banissy
, Natalie C. Bowling
, Alice M. Gregory
, Michael J. Banissy

^*Corresponding author for this work

Bristol Neuroscience

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Prior research suggests that different types of touch can affect sleep, but whether there is a consistent association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality is unclear. Here, we report a pre-registered systematic review (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO], CRD42020158683) of studies examining the association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults. The databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE were searched on August 7, 2020. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised qualitatively. Most commonly, articles researched sexual intimacy in relation to sleep quality, but some studies also investigated non-sexual affective touch and emotionally neutral touch. Some evidence for a connection between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and masturbation with sleep quality was found; however, no evidence for an association between sexual frequency or sexual positions and sleep was found. Interestingly, studies employing more subjective approaches were more likely to report an association between touch and sleep, potentially highlighting a discrepancy between self-reported and the objectively measurable association between touch and sleep.

Original language	English
Article number	e13504
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Sleep Research
Volume	31
Issue number	3
Early online date	18 Oct 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13504
Publication status	Published - 4 May 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
MJB is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, grant no. ES/R007527/1) and the Wellcome Collection. AG is an advisor for a project originally partially sponsored by Johnson’s Baby. She has written two books (, Bloomsbury Sigma, 2018; , Flying Eye Books, 2019) and is working on a further project with Lawrence King Publishing. She is a regular contributor to BBC Focus magazine and has contributed to numerous other outlets (such as and ). She has been interviewed by magazines and commercial websites. She has provided a paid talk for business and is occasionally sent trial products from commercial companies (e.g. blue light blocking glasses). She has received grant funding for her research from several bodies. The other authors declare no conflict of interest. Nodding Off The Sleepy Pebble The Conversation The Guardian

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society

Keywords

affective touch
co-sleep
sexual behaviour
sleep in pairs

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title = "Associations between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults: A systematic review",

abstract = "Prior research suggests that different types of touch can affect sleep, but whether there is a consistent association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality is unclear. Here, we report a pre-registered systematic review (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO], CRD42020158683) of studies examining the association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults. The databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE were searched on August 7, 2020. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised qualitatively. Most commonly, articles researched sexual intimacy in relation to sleep quality, but some studies also investigated non-sexual affective touch and emotionally neutral touch. Some evidence for a connection between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and masturbation with sleep quality was found; however, no evidence for an association between sexual frequency or sexual positions and sleep was found. Interestingly, studies employing more subjective approaches were more likely to report an association between touch and sleep, potentially highlighting a discrepancy between self-reported and the objectively measurable association between touch and sleep.",

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author = "Dueren, \{Anna L.\} and Rotem Perach and Banissy, \{Jasmine F.M.\} and Bowling, \{Natalie C.\} and Gregory, \{Alice M.\} and Banissy, \{Michael J.\}",

note = "Funding Information: MJB is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, grant no. ES/R007527/1) and the Wellcome Collection. AG is an advisor for a project originally partially sponsored by Johnson{\textquoteright}s Baby. She has written two books (, Bloomsbury Sigma, 2018; , Flying Eye Books, 2019) and is working on a further project with Lawrence King Publishing. She is a regular contributor to BBC Focus magazine and has contributed to numerous other outlets (such as and ). She has been interviewed by magazines and commercial websites. She has provided a paid talk for business and is occasionally sent trial products from commercial companies (e.g. blue light blocking glasses). She has received grant funding for her research from several bodies. The other authors declare no conflict of interest. Nodding Off The Sleepy Pebble The Conversation The Guardian Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society",

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AB - Prior research suggests that different types of touch can affect sleep, but whether there is a consistent association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality is unclear. Here, we report a pre-registered systematic review (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO], CRD42020158683) of studies examining the association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults. The databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE were searched on August 7, 2020. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised qualitatively. Most commonly, articles researched sexual intimacy in relation to sleep quality, but some studies also investigated non-sexual affective touch and emotionally neutral touch. Some evidence for a connection between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and masturbation with sleep quality was found; however, no evidence for an association between sexual frequency or sexual positions and sleep was found. Interestingly, studies employing more subjective approaches were more likely to report an association between touch and sleep, potentially highlighting a discrepancy between self-reported and the objectively measurable association between touch and sleep.

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Associations between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults: A systematic review

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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