Though intimacy is good for emotional health, but sound sleep is good for physical and mental health, say experts.
Dr. Robert Meadows, a sociologist at the University of Surrey, said that on average people needed 7.5 hours sleep. He carried out a study which proved that sleeping with your partner led to more disturbances in sleep.
For the purpose of the study, 40 couples, aged 20 to 59, were recruited. They were asked to wear an activity monitor on their wrist for a day and report how well they slept with their partners.
Surprisingly, it was found that sleeping with a partner increased their disturbances by as much as 50 percent.
Couple should relocate if deprived of sound sleep
It has been an established fact that poor sleep can lead to depression
, heart disease, strokes, lung disorders, traffic and industrial accidents, and even broken relationships.
If a couple is struggling to sleep together due to snoring, fidgeting or duvet-hogging, tossing or turning, it’s better for them to sleep on separate beds because poor sleep is bad for physical, emotional as well as mental health.
Dr. Stanley, a sleep expert at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital who set up the Sleep Lab at the University of Surrey, even went a step further and said that if twin-bed doesn’t suffice, then the couple should rather sleep in separate rooms.
He said, “A normal double bed is 4ft 6inches wide. That means you have up to nine inches less per person in a double bed than a child has in a single bed.
“Add to this another person who kicks, punches, snores and gets up to go to the loo and is it any wonder that we are not getting a good night's sleep? To save your marriage and your health you should have a discussion about your sleep.”
Dr. Stanley, who himself sleeps in a separate room, said that prior to the Victorian era sleeping apart was common for the couples. It was only after the industrial revolution that the tradition of marital beds started as people started moving to crowded places and found themselves short of living space.
Alternatives for a sound sleep
For couples who find sleeping in separate beds quite a big deal, some of Dr. Stanley’s suggested alternatives are buying a bigger bed, having separate duvets, and having darker curtains.
It is said that good sleep is as important as diet and exercise. So if you are not getting it, do something about it.
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