If you’re worried that your marriage is in trouble, it turns out there’s a simple thing you can do to improve your relationship: Start sleeping in separate beds.
At least that’s according to a sleep consultant at Surrey University in the UK named Dr. Neil Stanley.
He says, quote, “Poor sleep is bad for your physical, mental and emotional health. There is no good thing about poor sleep. If you sleep perfectly well together, then don’t change. But don’t be afraid to relocate.
“Sleep is the most selfish thing we 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 . . . At some point you have to say, ‘I’m going to go to sleep now.’
“Intimacy is important for emotional health. But good sleep is important for physical, emotional and mental health. Getting a good night’s sleep is something we should all aspire to.”
INTERESTING FACTOID: In the Victorian Era, it was common for couples to have separate beds, and even separate bedrooms.
But in the late 1700s, at the start of the Industrial Revolution, people flocked to the cities and suddenly found themselves living in small apartments. So, to save space, couples started sharing a bed.