Sharing a bed is not only critical to a healthy marriage, it’s also key to a healthy mind and body.
That’s according to a study that found adults who sleep together have myriad physical and mental health benefits over those who sleep alone.
This comes despite a growing number of couples choosing to sleep in separate rooms for a better night’s sleep, including celebrities like Doctor Foster star Suranne Jones and her husband.
US researchers found that sleeping together not only improves sleep quality, but also reduces the risk of depression, anxiety, stress and fatigue.
Couples who sleep together also feel emotionally closer to their partner, are more secure in their relationship, and have better overall life satisfaction.
dr Michael Grandner, a sleep expert at the University of Arizona who led the study, said he was “very surprised to find out how important this could be.”
Sharing a bed is not only critical to a healthy marriage, it’s also key to a healthy mind and body. That’s according to a study that found adults who sleep together have myriad physical and mental health benefits over those who sleep alone
This is despite a growing number of couples choosing to sleep in separate rooms for a better night’s sleep, including celebrities such as Doctor Foster star Suranne Jones and her husband Laurence Akers (pictured together at An Audience with Adele, London Palladium, November 2021).
The research involved analyzing data from 1,000 working-age men and women from Pennsylvania.
They were asked detailed questions about their sleep, health, and quality of life over the past month.
Researchers also looked at the effects of sleeping with children or other family members.
People who “never” slept with a partner or spouse were more likely to suffer from insomnia than those who did “most nights.”
Couples who shared a bed also slept better and suffered less from fatigue.
Sleeping alone was associated with higher depression scores, lower social support, and poorer life and relationship satisfaction.
Reality TV personality Vicky Pattison revealed last year that she and fiancé Ercan Ramadan sleep in separate beds (pictured together at the National Television Awards in London in September 2021).
HOW MUCH SLEEP SHOULD I GET?
Most adults need between six and nine hours of sleep each night.
If you go to bed and wake up at a similar time each night, you program your brain and internal clock to get used to a set routine.
But few people manage to stick to strict bedtime patterns.
To fall asleep more easily, the NHS recommends relaxing, e.g. B. by bathing, reading and avoiding electronic devices.
The health service also recommends keeping the bedroom sleep-friendly by removing TVs and appliances from the room and keeping it dark and clutter-free.
For people struggling to sleep, the NHS says keeping a sleep diary can uncover lifestyle habits or activities that contribute to sleepiness.
The team wrote in the paper, “Sleeping with a partner/spouse is associated with better sleep quality and overall mental health.”
Meanwhile, those who slept with their child “most nights” reported higher rates of insomnia, stress and risk of sleep apnea.
People who slept with other family members were more sleepy during the day and had poorer sleep quality at night.
Previous research has shown that sleeping with a romantic partner allows the body to relax and sleep soundly for longer.
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep plays an important role in emotional processing, hormone levels, and healthy muscle and brain development.
If this is regularly disturbed – for example by a small child – this can lead to a variety of health problems.
dr Grandner said: “Very few research studies examine this, but our findings suggest that whether we sleep alone or with a partner, having a family member can affect our sleep health. We were very surprised at how important that can be.”
Brandon Fuentes, a researcher in the Arizona Division of Psychiatry and co-lead author, said, “Sleeping with a romantic partner or spouse has major sleep health benefits, including reduced risk of sleep apnea, insomnia severity, and overall improvement.” sleep quality.’
An excerpt of the study was published in an online supplement to the journal Sleep and was presented at a US sleep conference this week.
The full results will be published later this year.
The results come amid a growing trend of couples swearing by sleeping in separate rooms.
Suranne Jones announced in 2020 that she and her husband, screenwriter Laurence Akers, are sleeping separately.
And reality TV personality Vicky Pattison revealed last year that she and fiancé Ercan Ramadan sleep in separate beds.
In 2009, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were rumored to live in completely separate buildings on the same estate.
HOW TO FIX SLEEP PROBLEMS
Poor sleep can lead to worry, and worry can lead to poor sleep, according to charity Mind.
A lack of closed eyes is considered a problem when it affects a person’s daily life.
As a result, they can feel anxious if they feel lack of sleep is preventing them from rationalizing their thoughts.
Insomnia is also associated with depression, psychosis, and PTSD.
Establishing a sleep routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day can help a person spend less time in bed and more time asleep.
Soothing music, breathing exercises, visualizing pleasant memories, and meditation also encourage eye closure.
Having tech-free time about an hour before bed can also prepare you for sleep.
If you’re still having trouble falling asleep, it can be a good thing to keep a sleep diary, recording the hours you sleep and the quality of your closed eye on a scale of one to five, to share with your doctor to show.
Also note how often you wake up during the night, whether you need to take naps, whether you have nightmares, your diet, and your general mood.
Trouble sleeping can be a sign of an underlying physical condition, such as pain.
Talking therapies can help you identify unhelpful thought patterns that might be interfering with sleep.
While medications, like sleeping pills, can help break brief bouts of insomnia and help you return to a better sleep pattern.