A recent survey found that over a third of American couples are opting for separate bedrooms to get a good night’s sleep, Newsmax reported.
The survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) found that respondents either occasionally (20 percent) or consistently (15 percent) sleep in a separate room to accommodate their partners.
Broken down by gender, around 45 percent of men sleep in a separate room either occasionally or consistently compared to 25 percent of women.
Sleeping in separate bedrooms is more common among Millennials, with 43 percent saying they sleep in a separate room either occasionally or consistently. Among other generations, the trend is not as great, with only 33 percent of Generation X, 28 percent of Generation Z, and 22 percent of Baby Boomers saying they occasionally or consistently sleep separately.
According to pulmonologist Dr. Seema Khosla of AASM, a good night’s sleep is vital to good health and mood and it isn’t surprising that some couples are opting to sleep separately to improve their well-being.
AASM describes the trend as “sleep divorce,” and while the term might seem harsh, Khosla said it simply means that couples are “prioritizing sleep” by moving to separate rooms at night “when needed.”
Khosla added that if a “sleep divorce” is prompted by loud snoring, the snoring partner might want to see a doctor to check for “obstructive sleep apnea.”
While not all snoring is caused by sleep apnea, it is the most common symptom of the condition. Gasping, choking, or pauses in breathing during sleep in addition to snoring are strong indicators of sleep apnea, AASM said.
The AASM survey also found that about a third of adults are going to bed later or earlier than they want to please their partners.
The survey, which questioned 2,005 adults, was conducted in late March.
