Sleep divorces demand bigger homes to avoid sharing one bedroom!
Sleep divorces are on the rise. In urban areas such as London, the percentage is even higher. Many of these couples are going for bigger homes in order to avoid sharing one bedroom.
Sleep divorces on the increase
Sleep divorces are increasing in the world. In this, couples are not legally divorced. They do continue to live like life partners. They live in the same house and sleep in the same bedroom as before but are not intimately together.
Such partial sort of divorces have seen a surge in modern times. About the figures in the UK, Daily Mail UK reports:
“‘Sleep divorce’ is on the rise, with one in 20 owners saying they have re-mortgaged so they can move to a bigger house or expand their own to have separate bedrooms.”
In a fast-paced city like London, this figure is one in ten. Couples are shifting to bigger homes. Or they are extending their current house construction in order to be able to get separate bedrooms to sleep in. Some of them are forcing their kids to bundle up with each other so that the couple can sleep apart. And there are some couples in which one partner sleeps in the home office or spare room on a sofa.
Benefits of sleeping separately
Couples state that when they sleep separately, they get better sleep. One such woman says:
‘It all started with crate-training our puppy,’ she added. ‘I began sleeping downstairs in my office to help her settle, thinking it was a temporary thing. But to my surprise, I was sleeping better than ever.’
‘What began as a practical solution quickly turned into an accidental ‘sleep divorce’, and it’s been a game-changer.’
‘No more snoring, no more late-night reading interruptions and no more early-morning gym alarms waking each other up.’
It helps couples with different sleep patterns or when one snores or is restless and fidgety.
Read more: What is a sleep divorce? Why do some people opt for it?
This could be an easy practical solution for couples who have started having some marital issues. It can prevent a legal divorce or help solve marital issues if they were of the minor type. Time might heal such issues and bring the couple together and rejuvenate them.
Separate bedrooms on a regular basis
There are some couples such as property landlord Emma Parsons-Reid and her husband, Kevin. For them in their relationship, not to share one bedroom is a common thing. They have slept in separate bedrooms for most part of their 22-year relationship period. Emma says:
‘I’ve found that having separate bedrooms helps me get the rest I need.’
‘While most people think love means cuddling up together every night, my version of love involves having my own sanctuary. I’m someone who needs personal space and alone time to recharge.’
Relationship expert Dr Anu Sayal-Bennett, who works at the London Child and Family Therapy Centre agrees. She adds:
‘If you’ve got the resources, it’s a brilliant idea. We all need a bit of quiet time, a bit of space. There might be snoring, one of the couple might have sleeping difficulties or be fidgety or restless, so sleeping separately can be beneficial.’
Catherine Morris owns luxury bedding brand Tielle. She carried out the above survey on 1000 adults of the UK. She feels that this step is beneficial for couples:
‘With the pressures of work, children and home lives and sleep being such a fundamental part of overall wellbeing, I see it as a positive step that couples are taking steps to look after themselves.’
