There’s nothing more exciting than spending a day with your significant other. You count down the hours until you get to see them again.
Yet, as soon as you meet, you may notice that you start feeling a little sleepy. This can get in the way of the fun day you have planned.
So, why do you get sleepy around someone you love? Is it because you’re comfortable, or is there a reason behind the phenomenon?
If that’s the case, then we can help answer your question.
In this article, we’ll cover why some people can get drowsy around their significant other. We’ll also take a look at what you can do to stay awake.
Why Do You Feel Sleepy or Tired Around Someone You Love?
Being in love can be a strange experience. You go through many emotional changes over a short period.
This can be dizzying, especially if you’re falling in love for the first time.
Plus, you develop habits that are a little tough to explain. For instance, there are a few couples that talk to each other in funny voices.
Besides that, some people get especially drowsy around their significant other. So, instead of getting to spend as much time with their partner, they’ll spend half the day asleep.
This can be frustrating when you first notice it. That’s particularly true if you don’t know what’s causing the issue.
There are quite a few reasons why this can happen. In this section, we’ll explore all the causes that may be leading you to fall asleep around a loved one.
1. Fatigue
One of the common reasons people sleep around loved ones is exhaustion. You have to remember, most of the time, you’ll meet your significant other after a long day of work.
This means, by that point, you’ve already had a jam-packed day. So, all you want to do is get home and lay down your head for a little rest.
Besides that, it’s good to note that the act of being in love can be exhausting on its own. Processing through feelings and the excitement of spending time with a loved one uses up a lot of energy.
Plus, when you’re with your partner, you’re more likely to head out on new adventures. Because of that, you’ll likely go straight to bed the first chance you get.
2. Relaxation
Spending a day with your partner can do wonders for your nerves. It’ll calm them down and leave you feeling fresh and relaxed.
While this sounds like an enjoyable sensation, it may cause you to doze off.
To help you understand that, think of a massage. As the masseur works out the stress from your muscles, you’ll get drowsy.
Even though you’re with a person that you’ve never met before.
This effect greatly increases when you’re around someone you trust. So, as soon as you start feeling relaxed, you’ll head off to dreamland.
3. Hormonal Changes
Few people know that when we’re around loved ones, we release special hormones. These include oxytocin and serotonin.
Oxytocin is a chemical that can regulate our emotional responses to different stimuli. It allows us to connect certain memories with positive feelings.
This, in turn, will reduce stress levels and lower anxiety.
For instance, when you’re around someone you love, you’ll get butterflies in your stomach. This warm and fuzzy feeling is the result of oxytocin running through your system.
That’s why many people refer to it as the love hormone.
Moving on, serotonin also plays a significant role. It’s a mood stabilizer that’s responsible for happiness.
When both of these hormones are present in our system, we can form new social bonds. These connections make us feel safe and relaxed.
So, as you can imagine, this may be causing you to fall asleep.
4. Sleep Cycle Issues
If you’re constantly feeling drowsy around a loved one, the problem may be your sleep schedule.
The average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. Yet, this can be difficult to maintain when you lead a busy lifestyle.
Other than that, it’s usually more difficult to head to bed when you have a significant other. That’s because you’ll want to spend as much time with them as possible.
This leads to late-night calls and early-morning wake-up texts. As a result, you won’t get nearly as much rest as you need.
So, if you’re sleeping for less than five hours, it’s no surprise that your eyelids feel heavy.
5. Comfort
Humans have the amazing ability to detect danger. We use our five senses to pick up on signals around us.
This helps keep us safe in potentially dangerous situations. Plus, it keeps your brain alert and ready to act at a moment’s notice.
Although when we’re around loved ones, our senses are a little dulled.
Instead of focusing on the world, you’ll spend your time lost in your partner’s eyes. This gives you a sense of security that you won’t find with anyone else.
Because of that, as soon as you get in a comfortable position, you’ll drift off.
6. Tranquility
After spending time with a loved one, you’ll start to pick up on their behavioral patterns. For instance, you’ll notice when they feel upset or happy.
To do that, you pay attention to facial features and body gestures. Yet, there are a couple of other factors that play a major role.
Even though we may not notice it, we instinctively learn our partners’ scent and tone of voice. This is to make communication easier.
Over time, the scent and voice become a sort of comfort blanket. That means you’ll feel safe as soon as you detect one of these.
For that reason, it’ll be much easier to fall asleep.
7. Excess Stress
We all hear about the negative effects of stress and what it can do to our bodies. For example, excess anxiety can lead to overeating and hair loss.
That’s why we try to keep stress to a minimum. Yet, in today’s world, it’s almost impossible to eliminate it.
This anxiety can take a massive toll on your mental well-being. It’ll be tougher to think clearly and make accurate decisions.
That’ll place a huge amount of pressure on your brain. Some people have trouble facing this overwhelming sense of unease.
So, their brains will shut down and head to sleep to protect themselves.
8. Boredom
Feeling sleepy around a loved one isn’t always a positive sign. On occasion, it can be your body’s way of telling you that you’re not happy where you are.
Being drowsy can mean your brain isn’t getting enough stimulation. For that reason, if you’re bored, your mind may wander off to sleep.
This doesn’t have to mean that your love for that person has faded away. Instead, it can be a signal that you need a change in your life.
Instead of watching Netflix all night, you may be looking for new adventures.
What Can You Do to Stay Awake Around a Loved One?
When you’re hanging out with a significant other, you want to make sure that they’re having fun. This can be challenging to do if you spend most of your time yawning.
So, if you’re trying to stay awake when you’re with a loved one, there are a couple of tips you can try.
Strict Sleeping Schedule
To ensure you don’t doze off when you’re not ready, you must maintain a strict sleeping schedule.
You have to sleep around seven to eight hours a night to keep your body functioning optimally.
Unfortunately, that means cutting down on late-night phone calls. Although, knowing that you’ll be fully attentive when you meet up in person should make you feel better.
Reduce Caffeine
Most of us need a cup of coffee to kick-start our days. The caffeine boost allows you to wake up and get energized for the day.
Although, too much caffeine can have the opposite effect. That’s because our body builds a dependency on the chemical.
This means it won’t be able to stay awake without another hit of caffeine. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, try to limit your consumption to one cup of coffee a day.
Decrease Stress
Since stress can be a major issue, you have to keep it to a minimum. Sadly, this is usually easier said than done.
You don’t have to eliminate anxiety. Instead, you can focus on isolating it from your time.
For instance, you can decide not to take any work calls when you’re spending time with a loved one. Giving yourself this space should help make you feel at ease when you’re with your partner.
Wrapping Up
Why do you get sleepy around someone you love? There are a few reasons behind this and they’re mostly positive.
For example, you may feel drowsy because of:
- Relaxation
- Tranquility
- Comfort
- Hormonal changes
These are all perfectly normal when you’re with a significant other.
Yet, there are also a few other culprits that may lead you to doze off. These include fatigue, sleep cycle issues, excess stress, and boredom.
To ensure you don’t fall asleep when you don’t want to, you must follow a strict sleep schedule. Plus, it’s a good idea to reduce caffeine and decrease stress.