For a Better Night’s Sleep, Should Couples Sleep in Different Beds?
What’s the Latest Development?
In search of a good night’s rest, couples are increasingly sleeping in separate beds, according to sociological surveys and architectural ledgers of new homes being built, an increasing number of which contain two master bedrooms. British sleep expert Dr. Neil Stanley, who sleeps apart from his wife in a (successul) attempt to rest better, said: “Sleep is the most selfish thing you can do. People say they like the feeling of having their partner next to them when they are asleep. But you have to be awake to feel that. We all know what it’s like to sleep in a bed with someone and have a cuddle. But at one point you say, ‘I’m going to sleep now.'”
What’s the Big Idea?
While we are apt to think that sleeping together is a sign of a healthy relationship, sharing the marital bed became popular only during the Industrial Revolution, when families crowded together to live in cramped urban spaces. In ancient Rome, for example, the marital bed was a place for sex, but not for sleeping. Still, psychologists say the main complicating factor in long term relationships is distance between partners. And sleeping alone means physical distance, which can lead to emotional distance. A logical decision in one area has consequences in other areas.
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