# Other beings: the sleep divorce

People sleep worse sharing a bed. Separate sheets are the realistic fix.



## Takeaways

- Separate sheets/duvets.

- Pillow barrier or earplugs.

- Partial sleep divorce if needed.



The data are clear enough: objectively measured sleep is often worse in a shared bed even when people feel they sleep better together — sleep is dyadic. A full sleep divorce isn't realistic for most, so change the setup: separate sheets or duvets so one partner's movement doesn't roll the other; a pillow barrier; earplugs; and if you're really struggling, a partial sleep divorce some nights.

It's individual: one study found young couples got more REM co-sleeping. Which is exactly why you tag partner-disturbed nights and test it.



## Sources

- It's more than sex: exploring the dyadic nature of sleep and implications for health (Troxel WM, 2010)

- Two in a bed: the influence of couple sleeping and chronotypes on relationship and sleep. An overview (Richter K, Adam S, Geiss L, Peter L, Niklewski G, 2016)

- Bed-sharing in couples is associated with increased and stabilized REM sleep and sleep-stage synchronization (Drews HJ, Wallot S, Brysch P, et al., 2020)

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Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.

SleepShred for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6802040541