The BBC reports that sleep expert Dr. Neil Stanley thinks couples should give separate beds a try because it will probably be better for their health.
One study found that, on average, couples suffered 50% more sleep disturbances if they shared a bed.
Dr Stanley, who sleeps separately from his wife, points out that historically we were never meant to share our beds. He said the modern tradition of the marital bed only began with the industrial revolution, when people moving to overcrowded towns and cities found themselves short of living space.
Before the Victorian era it was not uncommon for married couples to sleep apart. In ancient Rome, the marital bed was a place for sexual congress but not for sleeping.
There have been many studies linking sleep deprevation to poor health and fatique.
He said poor sleep was linked to depression, heart disease, strokes, lung disorders, traffic and industrial accidents, and divorce, yet sleep was largely ignored as an important aspect of health.
Dr Robert Meadows, a sociologist at the University of Surrey, said: "People actually feel that they sleep better when they are with a partner but the evidence suggests otherwise."
If people can get more quality sleep by sleeping apart then it probably makes sense to use separate beds.
