Sleeping in separate beds may have negative connotations for a happy couple, but new research has found that it can have beneficial results for both their relationship and their individual health.
According to a study from Ryerson University in Toronto, between 30 and 40 percent of couples sleep apart at night, and experts say the separation can actually help a relationship, rather than harm it. Colleen Carney, the author of the study, told CBC: “People will say they sleep better [together], but when we actually monitor their brains. . . they’re continuously being woken up by movement or sound. It creates a lot of problems.”
Using brain scans, researchers found that couples who sleep together do not get into the deeper stages of sleep.
Rather than continuously waking each other up with various sounds and movements, Carney says couples should consider sleeping separately for a better night’s rest, as well as a happier relationship.
She also refutes the common conception that a couple who sleeps apart is unromantic or troubled.
“People can have very good and satisfying relationships sleeping apart,” she explains.
