As more couples announce they are “sleep separated”, one of America’s leading sleep guidance and wellness platforms has revealed that nearly a fifth (18%) of American couples don’t sleep in the same bed as each other. These findings come following a survey of roughly 6,000 coupled up Americans on their sleeping habits. The research also found that, of the couples who do not share a bed, more than half (53%) do not feel comfortable admitting it to friends, family or colleagues, meaning one person in every couple feels uncomfortable talking about sleeping apart from their partner.
A study of around 6,000 Americans currently in relationships has revealed that nearly a fifth (18%) of couples in the United States aren’t sharing a bed, and are using alternative sleeping arrangements most nights. The research also found that, of these respondents, more than half (53%) feel uncomfortable admitting it to friends and family, meaning for every couple not sharing a bed, one partner doesn’t feel comfortable publicizing it.
The study, commissioned by sleep guidance and wellness platform SleepJunkie, found that 76% of respondents listed ‘sleep quality’ as the reason for sleeping apart. Divorce statistics shows that in 2020 there were 630,505, equalling a divorce rate of 2.3, substantially lower than the two previous years of 2019 (2.7) and 2018 (2.9), meaning less Americans are getting divorced year-on-year.
The brand launched the study to further its progress in uncovering what makes America’s perfect night’s sleep. Speaking with its readers, SleepJunkie’s survey asked a series of questions relating to sleep patterns, habits, and trends, focusing both on relationship-wide issues, and personal sleep tendencies.
To tackle the taboo surrounding the topic, SleepJunkie has launched a ‘Sleep Separation Archive’, to give couples the chance to anonymously share their stories, giving people the opportunity to better understand how sleeping separately can improve their relationship, without feeling self conscious.
Full details of the study, and SleepJunkie’s Sleep Separation Archive, can be found here: https://www.sleepjunkie.com/
Of the respondents who don’t normally share a bed with their partner, 15% stated that sleeping separately had ‘improved their relationship’, while more than three quarters (76%) selected improved ‘sleep quality’ as a reason for sleeping separately, the most commonly selected answer.
Interestingly, of those who do sleep together, more than a quarter (26%) state that sleeping together ‘improves their relationship’.
Data analysts from the publication also delved into where couples sleep separately the most, and discovered that New York (16%) and Ohio (15%) had significantly higher numbers of ‘sleep separated’ couples than other regions.
SleepJunkie understands millions of people around the world suffer from restless nights and not getting enough sleep. To help those individuals, SleepJunkie acts as a platform for finding the perfect mattress, accessories, and routines for a perfect night’s sleep and also explores the science behind sleep, making it accessible for everyone.
Jasmin Lee of SleepJunkie, said,
“Anyone who keeps up with lifestyle news will know that more and more couples are coming out and announcing they’re ‘sleep separated’, and so we wanted to see just how much the trend plays out across the wider public.
“I have to admit we were surprised to see such a high percentage of couples admitting to sleeping apart, however we were more concerned with the number who said they feel uncomfortable talking about it. That’s why we want to encourage people to come out as ‘sleep separated’, and help to remove the taboo currently surrounding the topic in the United States.”