That’s right, you don’t need to sleep in separate beds to get the health benefits of a good night’s rest. In fact, you shouldn’t!
According to new research, sleeping with a partner may be part of the reason that people in happy, committed relationships tend to have better health and even live longer than singles. Moreover, it challenges the idea that people don’t sleep as well when there’s someone else in their bed.
The study found that women in healthy relationships fell asleep faster and awoke less during the night than single women. Men also got better sleep when their partner reported that their relationship was particularly harmonious that day.
But even if you are dealing with a snorer or cover-hog and it’s causing you to toss and turn, the psychological benefits of sleeping with a loved one may outweigh the costs of lost sleep.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
While the science is in the early stages, one hypothesis suggests that by promoting feelings of safety and security, shared sleep in healthy relationships may lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Sharing a bed may also reduce cytokines, involved in inflammation, and boost oxytocin, the so-called love hormone that is known to ease anxiety and is produced in the same part of the brain responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. So even though sharing a bed may make people move more, “the psychological benefits we get having closeness at night trump the objective costs of sleeping with a partner,” Dr. Troxel says.
Not buying it? A lot of couples have issues sleeping together, whether it’s due to a snoring partner or a night owl. Luckily, there are a few ways to work around the problems and still sleep in the same bed. If you’re losing sleep over your tossing and turning partner, maybe it’s time to invest in a new mattress. Or, if you or your partner’s snoring is keeping you up, try nose strips, sleeping on your side, or talk to your doctor about taking a sleep apnea test. There are even certain foods that help youk sleep!
Whatever the issues are, it’s worth it to work on them! For more tips and information, check out the full Wall Street Journal Entry here.
