Can’t Sleep?

You Could
Try a Sleep Divorce.

You like a firm mattress. He prefers a pillow top. You stick to your share
of the comforter. She monopolizes it like a zero-sum game. If these or
other nighttime disturbances and sleep differences are keeping you
awake, it might be time to consider a sleep divorce.
So, What Is a Sleep Divorce?
It’s not as dramatic as it sounds. A sleep divorce just means you’ve
agreed to sleep in separate spaces for the sake of getting deeper, more
healthy sleep. And it’s surprisingly common. According to our research,
more than 25% of couples are opting for this arrangement. For some,
that might mean moving into individual beds in the same room; for
others, it could mean sleeping in different rooms to maximize those 40
winks.
Isn’t That Going a Little Too Far?
Think Lucy and Ricky Ricardo slept in matching twin beds because of
strict network television censorship alone? Think again. Believe it or not,
as recently as the 1960s nodding off in separate beds was considered in
vogue. And if that seems strange, consider that prior to modern times
whole families and often their livestock would hit the hay in one place to
stay warm and conserve space. Throughout the eras, whatever worked
best seems to have been the rule of thumb.

Danger: Snoring May Lead to Separation

Hoping your love alone will get you through the night? Studies show that
over time the benefits of sleeping together can turn negative if healthy
sleep is sacrificed. A 2016 study conducted by Paracelsus Private
Medical University in Nuremberg, Germany found that sleep issues and
relationship problems tend to happen at the same time. Chainsaw
snoring that keeps one person up won’t be easily forgiven and forgotten
the next morning. Even seemingly smaller incompatibilities like amount
of lighting, mismatched schedules or temperature preferences can build
up resentment and lead to conflict.