BY KAYLA KIBBE

The Pandemic’s stress has disrupted the sleep patterns of many couples, resulting in sleep problems. My interview with InsideHook explains why the need for psychological space has driven lovers to separate bedrooms. #covid #separatebedrooms

Kayla writes,

Sharing a bed with a partner isn’t always the picture of romantic bliss we imagine it to be, and some couples are realizing that more than ever during the pandemic. CNN reports sleep problems are on the rise among cohabiting couples as the pandemic drags on, and those issues may be leading to bigger problems in the relationship.

“Sleep amongst couples is completely interdependent,” Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral and social scientist at the nonprofit RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, told the outlet. “When you share a bed with another human being, your sleep is affected and it affects the other person who shares the bed with you.”

For some couples, this has made the idea of separate bedrooms a more attractive option. As relationship expert Susan Winter told InsideHook back in July, separate sleeping arrangements for couples were already becoming less stigmatized in recent years, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the trend.

“The coronavirus pandemic has forced many couples into small quarters with little to no privacy,” said Winter. “We live in stressful times with continual information overload. Having your own retreat space means you can reboot. Night time is when we unwind, collect our thoughts, and chill. This is an act of self-care that benefits both parties in the relationship.”

It may seem counterintuitive, but sleeping separately might actually be the thing that saves your relationship from becoming yet another victim of COVID-19.

Continue reading: https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/sex-and-dating/couples-sleep-problems-pandemic

Twitter:  @KAY_KIBBE