Recently, my husband and I was laying in bed. As he lay there snoring, I began to contemplate how much different things would be if we slept in different beds. Above all, I wondered what other benefits there might be, aside from avoiding the hours of snoring.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and I love snuggles. But, sometimes, instead of rushing to bed, I would like to lay there and watch a movie. Or, maybe I want to lay like a starfish across the bed, don’t judge me. All jokes aside, the thought got me thinking about other couples (like both sets of grandparents in my life) that chose to sleep apart. While the notion might sound like the proverbial hack saw to the marriage decree, when I got to thinking about it, a lot of healthy and happy couples choose to sleep separately.
Here’s why.
1. They have different schedules.
If your partner works a third shift job, but you have to get up every morning at 5 a.m to get your day started for work, it can be hard to get the right amount of sleep with the differing schedules. A lot of people choose to sleep separately, to avoid waking each other in the night or in the morning.
2. One partner is too hot.
We’ve all had a partner who was a literal heater, or maybe that is you. You must admit that sometimes, it’s just too much to snuggle up when doing so results in you being covered in sweat. Not to mention that the human body prefers cooler climates for restful sleep. And a good night’s sleep is everything to your health.
3. You have different mattress needs.
One of you has back problems that require a special type of mattress, while the other likes theirs to be softer. Or, maybe it’s that one of you likes a cooling pad on the top of the mattress, while the other prefers to avoid that entirely. Whatever the case may be, if one of you prefers one style of mattress and the other prefers another, sleeping apart can be beneficial.
4. One partner has restless leg syndrome.
Restless leg syndrome is a very real disease that affects 10% of the population and is more common in women. For those who have it, there is a desire to constantly move your legs up until the early morning time. A lot of people who have spouses who have this syndrome opt to sleep separately.
5. One of you is a blanket hog.
Sleeping with a blanket hog is no fun. I’ve been there. Or, perhaps I am the blanket hog, who knows? With that said, when one person likes to hog all the covers, there are two choices: either get a second blanket or choose to sleep separately. You could also choose to give up having your share of the blanket, but the other two options are much easier and more comfortable.