A study of sleep among American women reveals that marriage may be a determining factor in a good night’s sleep.

To identify the social and personal predictors of sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep adequacy, the researchers pored over data collected from 2,670 women ages 18 to 55 (74 percent Hispanic, 18 percent non-Hispanic White, 8 percent non-Hispanic Black) living in southeast Texas. Repeatedly, marital status emerged as a relevant consideration in these data.“Longer sleep durations were associated with being married,” the researchers report. In addition, the researchers trace a statistical association between marital status and “perceived sleep adequacy” (p < 0.05). In both simple univariable analysis and more sophisticated multiple-regression analysis, marital status also predicted sleep quality, with married women enjoying better sleep than unmarried peers (p < 0.05 in the univariable analysis and p < 0.01 in the multiple-regression model).