Couples & Sleep: Together or Apart?

Many couples may enjoy cuddling before falling asleep; but researcher Dr. Neil Stanley suggests that sharing a bed can lead to poor sleep and hurt your relationship.

Stanley told attendees of the British Science Festival that couples should consider sleeping apart, reports the Press Association. He said there is a 50-percent chance that your bed partner’s movements will disturb your sleep.

BBC News reports that Stanley follows his own advice: He and his wife sleep in separate rooms.

“Don’t be afraid to do something different,” Stanley said.

Stanley added that a couple’s sleep arrangement should be based on what makes them comfortable. If a couple sleeps well together, then there is no need to trade in a queen-sized bed for twin beds. But you may find that you are happier and healthier sleeping alone.

There is some support for this idea. A 2004 study in the journal Sleep involved 405 married couples; it found that an individual’s sleep problems can have a negative impact on his or her spouse’s health and well being.

But are separate bedrooms the solution? Maybe not; it may avoid the problem instead of solving it.

Last month the Sleep Education Blog reported that people who have a sleep disorder may be unaware of the problem. But the symptoms may be obvious to their bed partner.

People with a sleep disorder may wake their partner at night by snoring or making choking and snorting sounds; they also may grind their teeth, thrash their legs or punch and kick during sleep.

There are effective treatments for these sleep disorders; treatment can help both you and your bed partner sleep better. Get help for your partner’s sleep problem at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

These sleep tips for couples also may help you and your bed partner sleep better together.