According to Emma's research into the sleeping behavior of Dutch people aged 18 and older, it appears that 44% of couples experience sleeping problems. That is quite something! Not all sleep problems, but certainly some of them are caused by the partner. That is why sleeping separately from your partner is not so bad at all to recharge yourself.
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Sleep is very important to let your body recover from the day. If you do not sleep enough or if you are constantly disturbed in your sleep, this can have unpleasant consequences for your health. For example, 29% of the participants in the study indicate that their ability to concentrate leaves something to be desired due to the sleeping problems. Insufficient sleep also causes real physical problems in 17% of the people surveyed and mental health problems in 10% of the people. That's not wrong, but there is a solution; sleeping separately from your partner.
As unsociable as it sounds, in many cases sleeping separately is the solution to boost your health. Of course, this only applies to cases where the problems with sleeping are caused by the partner. For example, a heavily snoring partner can keep you awake if you lie next to it. If you sleep separately from each other, you will not be bothered by this.
In order to sleep better, almost 19% of Dutch people in a relationship seek refuge in another bed. They indicate that they sleep separately several times a week in order to be able to rest sufficiently. It may not be that romantic, but it is smart. Because a large proportion of the respondents who sleep separately indicate that sleeping in a different bed makes them feel fitter again. Physically and mentally. And all that is better than sleeping in.
Sleeping problems that are indeed caused by the partner, or simply by the fact that you sleep with someone in one bed, are in particular:
I recognize that too much heat myself. For a number of years (I think also due to the transition) I have been warm in bed rather quickly. It can be fun to snuggle up close to each other, it makes me very hot! Now that is no reason for me to sleep separately, but it was the reason for a larger bed. Since we have a wonderfully large bed from Gussta, I can lie down on my own side if I get too hot. Ideal.
I don't recognize that snoring, but Frank probably does. I am the one who snores. In my defence:I only snore when I've had too much to drink and that doesn't happen often these days 😉 . Something with age and not being able to handle it so well anymore. Despite our 'problems', it is fortunately not necessary to sleep separately. I personally would find that very uncomfortable.
By the way, did you know that women experience these kinds of problems more often than men? This is in line with the idea that it is often the men who snore and may therefore be the sleep disruptors.
That is the key question, of course. If you often sleep separately from your partner, it may just be that there is a kind of mutual distance that no one is waiting for. But that can be prevented by consciously choosing to sleep separately together and by consciously choosing to spend time together before going to bed.
Do you and your partner still sleep together? And if so, do you ever see the two of you going to sleep separately?
