Sleeping in separate beds or rooms does not affect a couple's happiness and may prove beneficial by improving the quality of each person's rest.

noli's read

The claim that sleeping apart (sometimes called 'sleep divorce') promotes well-being is based on observational data: a 2023 Sleep Foundation survey reveals that 52.9% of people who sleep separately report an improvement in their sleep, gaining an average of 37 minutes per night. The work of behavioral researcher Wendy Troxel (RAND Corporation, expert opinion) confirms that poor-quality sleep impairs emotional regulation and increases daily marital conflict. However, the scientific evidence is nuanced, as co-sleeping also offers real relational benefits. An observational study published in Oxford Academic journals (2022) indeed shows a positive correlation between sharing a bed, mental health, and feelings of connection. Furthermore, a 2025 observational study published in BMC Public Health linked sleeping separately to lower overall psychological well-being in older couples. Thus, while solo sleeping avoids physical nighttime disturbances, the absence of a shared bed simply requires maintaining intimacy through other rituals of connection.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.