Couples who sleep in separate rooms are more likely to have better health as a result of sleeping better, according to new research.
Sleep specialist Neil Stanley says bed-sharing couples suffer 50 percent more sleep disruptions as a result of snoring and other interruptions compared to partners who sleep separately.
Dr Stanley sleeps in a separate bed from his wife and told the British Science Festival that couples shouldn't be afraid to think about keeping two sleeping quarters.
"We all know what it's like to have a cuddle and then say 'I'm going to sleep now' and go to the opposite side of the bed, so why not just toddle off down the landing?" he was quoted by the BBC as saying.
Dr Stanley said couples haven’t always slept in the same bed but the trend caught on during the Industrial Revolution when overcrowding forced them together.
University of South Australia sleep researcher Greg Roach said Dr Stanley's argument makes sense to a certain extent.
"Someone with obstructive sleep apnoea — if it's untreated — can snore quite loudly, which can be potentially distressing and disruptive to the other person," he said.
"Taking the step of moving into another room or another bed can result in better sleep, but it depends on the circumstances."
Dr Roach said a person tossing and turning in bed can also interrupt the sleep pattern of their partner.
"With people without sleep disorders, when one person moves in the bed the other person tends to move in the bed but it doesn't lead to a substantial amount of sleep loss," he said.
But Dr Stanley said couples who are sleeping in the same bed without disruption should feel no need to use separate rooms.
"It's about what makes you happy," he said.
"If you've been sleeping together and you both sleep perfectly well, then don't change — but don't be afraid to do something different."
Only eight percent of British couples in their 40s and 50s sleep in different rooms, the Science Festival heard.
Front page
RSS Feed