For most married couples, sharing a bed is a given. It’s an expression of intimacy that supposed to strengthen the bond of previously two strangers. Little do people realize that sharing a bed is a predecessor to many problems.
Is sleeping in separate beds better for couples? Will it cause a problem in the marriage?
Separate Beds Make Happier Couples
Until the late 1800s, couples in European countries prefer to sleep in separate beds. A custom that gradually changed as the world stepped into the next century.
These days, however, not all couples follow the trend of sleeping in the same bed. In fact, a 2005 study by the National Sleep Foundation discovered that nearly 25% of couples still prefer to sleep separately. And it’s for a good reason – it’s great for your physical and mental health.
According to a 2016 study by Paracelsus Private Medical University in Nuremberg, Germany, revealed that sleep issues could escalate to relationship problems. It’s not that hard to imagine, actually. When you’re sleep-deprived, even the small things can trigger a war.
Some couples even take it to another level – they sleep in separate bedrooms. This is actually not an alien concept in Japan. About 28% of married couples there prefer to sleep in separate bedrooms.
Is it OK for couples to sleep in separate rooms?
Of course. Here’s the thing: Like in many countries, Japan has a high cost of living. It’s very normal to have both mom and dad work to keep food on the table.
So, when mom works during the day and dad works graveyard shift (or the other way around), separate bedrooms allow them to work and sleep without unnecessarily interrupting the others.
Different rooms also work well when one is a light sleeper and the other always trash around the bed or worse – they snore loudly through the night. You can’t have a healthy relationship by trying to put those two very different sleepers in the same room. Playing sleep music in this case isn’t going to do much. It’s just not going to work.
Should You Sleep In Separate Beds/Rooms Too?
Sleeping in separate beds/rooms does not make a couple any less happy than those who sleep in the same bed/room. The opposite also holds true. Talk to your spouse about which arrangement is best for you two.
