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If one of the partners feels unappreciated in a romantic relationship, the reason could probably be due to lack of sleep. In a recent study, researchers from the University of California analyzed the effect of sleep on gratitude and found that the lesser the amount of sleep, the lower the level of gratitude. Low level of sleep leaves a person tired and, hence, unable to say a simple 'Thank You' that would make the partner feel appreciated.

Incidentally, the common reason for disturbed sleep may be due to the snoring of the partner, sheet tugging, or the use of laptop while the other partner is trying to sleep. It has been found in the study that in a romantic relationship, the partners are dependent on each other emotionally, so a lack of sleep makes a person less aware of what the other partner is feeling.

For the study, approximately 60 couples, aged between 18 and 56, volunteered. In one of the activities, they kept a log of their sleeping pattern and also noted down the effect of their partner's activity on their sleep. In the other activity, the volunteers were asked to participate in a problem-solving task and their actions were recorded. It was noted that people who had slept badly did not appreciate their partner's habit.

"Poor sleep may make us more selfish as we prioritize our own needs over our partner's. You may have slept like a baby, but if your partner didn't, you'll probably both end up grouchy," Amie Gordon, a University of California Berkeley psychologist and the lead investigator of the study was quoted as saying in Medical Xpress. Gordon conducted the study along with other University of California Berkeley psychologist Serena Chen.

It was observed by Gordon, who mainly deals with the psychology of close relationships, that people are too busy to even sleep and function for hours on the basis of brief 'catnaps'. This observation led the sixth year PhD student to conduct the study.

"Make sure to say 'thanks' when your partner does something nice, let them know you appreciate them," was Gordon's suggestion to remedy the situation.