54 | August• 2017
7 SURPRISING WAYS TO GET MORE SLEEP
gettinguptogotothebathroomor
just turning over.”
About one-third of married couples
sleep in separate rooms, according to
Canadian researchers. This trend has
been slowly gaining momentum for a
decade. “Talking about
sleeping separately is
probably one of the
biggest taboos,” Stanley
says. “Other people say
if you’re in a relation-
ship, you must share
a bed or you’re call-
ing into question your
relationship. That’s
complete and utter
nonsense.”
Want to try separate
rooms? Broach the
subject in a loving, non-
judgmental way when
it isn’t bedtime.
“It really is about
saying that sleeping
separately isn’t a with-
drawal of the self, that
you’ll kiss and cud-
dle and when you say
goodnight, rather than turning to the
other side of the bed, you’ll go to the
other room,” Stanley says. “People get
senttothebackroomorthecouch
as if it’s a punishment. But you say, ‘I
want a good night’s sleep, so I’m going
to sleep in the back room, but it’s go-
ingtobemyroom.It’snotgoingtobe
a punishment.’ If you do it in a loving
way and you remain intimate, it works.”be necessary for some. “One can feel
lonely despite being highly socially
connected,” McHugh says. “It cannot
be resolved purely by social contact.”
Try sleeping in another
bedroom
Falling asleep next to
a snoring partner can
be frustrating and tir-
ing. Research shows
that half of night-time
sleep disturbances are
caused by disruptive
bedmates. This can
translate to chronic
sleep deprivation, de-
pression, heart disease
and relationship prob-
lems. “People who have
poor sleep actually
have a higher rate of
divorce,” Stanley says.
“The next day, you’ll
have more arguments,
be less likely to make
up and have a lack of
empathy towards that
person. It’s a potential
recipe towards marital disharmony.”
A simple fix: sleep in separate bed-
rooms. Researchers have confirmed
that people get better-quality rest
alone, which can positively impact
your health and your relationship.
“Sleep is the most selfish thing that
you can do,” Stanley says. “If you’re
sleeping alone, you’re not going to
have somebody snoring, kicking,
People get
better-quality
rest alone,
which can
positively
impactyour
health and
relationship