Can sleeping apart help your marriage?

Sleeping with your spouse could reduce your quality of sleep. Couples that sleep together reported frequently having their sleep disrupted by their partner.

Blanket hogging, snoring, tossing and turning, sweating and other disturbances caused by one spouse may induce marital problems and possibly health problems too.

Sleep deprivation and marital conflict could go hand-in-hand

A study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley found that couples often argue after not getting adequate sleep the night before—especially when one spouse causes the other to lose sleep.

If your spouse snores so loudly that it prevents you from sleeping, would you wake them up to make it stop? If so, they may become upset with you. Even when one spouse chooses to let the other spouse sleep after being disturbed, they may feel animosity towards the spouse that is sound asleep.

The importance of sleep

Lack of sleep can provoke a multitude of issues marital and otherwise. It is recommended that adults between the ages of 18 and 60 get seven or more hours of sleep every night. When people do not get at least hours of sleep, they have a higher risk of:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Obesity
• Mental distress
• Impaired cognitive performance

Cognitive impairment increases the likelihood of accidents and decreases productivity. With all these negative effects, it’s no wonder couples that don’t sleep well together are more likely to argue.

Many couples feel that sleeping together is a sign of closeness. On the contrary, studies show that sleeping separately may bring couples closer.

Benefits of sleeping separately

If couples are not sleeping well together, sleeping apart is the better option. When both spouses are sleeping restfully, the couple is mentally, emotionally and physically healthier.

Some couples claim that sleeping separately has made them closer. Getting a good night’s sleep has allowed them to focus on the positive aspects of their marriage.

Sleeping apart may cause the spouses to miss each other and increase their appreciation for one another.

Regardless of the sleeping arrangement, couples that discuss their needs and accommodate each other are more likely to stay happily married and avoid divorce.