The 'Sleep Divorce' Trending in the US... A Secret to Stronger Marital Relationships?

WSJ Highlights the Growing Trend of 'Sleep Divorce' in the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently highlighted the phenomenon of many couples in the United States choosing 'sleep divorce.'

[Photo by Pixabay]

On the 2nd (local time), WSJ introduced the case of Elizabeth Pearson (42) and Ryan Pearson (47), a couple who chose sleep divorce, reporting that while they maintain a normal married life, it has become trendy to sleep in separate spaces.

The couple has been married for 16 years and chose sleep divorce 8 years ago. Elizabeth said, "My husband's snoring sounded like a chainsaw, and his sleep habits were so bad that he would hit my face while sleeping." She added, "There were many times when our relationship almost cracked because I would wake up angry at him every morning."

She continued, "We both travel quite often for work, and we realized that we sleep well in hotels. The times we didn't sleep well were when we lay together in bed at home." Currently, they sleep in separate bedrooms. They also said their relationship has improved since adopting sleep divorce.

WSJ cited research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, reporting that many couples in the U.S. choose sleep divorce by using separate bedrooms. According to a 2023 study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 35% of American couples answered that they 'sometimes or consistently sleep in separate spaces.' Among millennials aged 27 to 42, the rate of choosing sleep divorce reached 43%, followed by 33% for ages 43 to 58, and 22% for ages 59 to 76.

A sleep expert told WSJ, "For centuries, couples have slept separately," explaining, "Since the 1960s, couples who sleep apart have been stigmatized as having loveless relationships." He added that sleeping separately does not indicate problems in the marital relationship.

Earlier, famous Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz also sparked attention last year by mentioning sleep divorce as a secret to maintaining a strong marital relationship during a broadcast. At the time, she said, "My husband and I use separate bedrooms," and argued, "Couples should consider it normal to use separate bedrooms."