Sleeping in separate beds is thought to be a sign of marital trouble. But for many couples, that's just not the case.
A recent "Good Morning America" segment looked at couples who make the decision to sleep apart -- not because they're falling out of love, but because their bedtime habits don't necessarily align. (Think different room temperature preferences, sleeping with the TV on or off, snoring or vastly different bedtimes and wake-up times.)
Arianne Cohen and her husband Nate told "Good Morning America" that sleeping in separate rooms has actually brought them closer together. Arianne can read before bed without keeping Nate up and Nate can play guitar without disturbing Arianne.
"I love that idea that we love each other so much that we protect each other's solitude," Nate said. (Watch more of their interview in the video above.)
According to an August 2013 study out of Toronto's Ryerson University, the practice of sleeping in separate beds is more common than you think. In fact, researchers found that 30 to 40 percent of couples sleep apart at night.
Over the weekend, we asked our married readers what they thought about this type of arrangement. What did we learn? Many have been doing it for years and think it's a lifesaver.
My husband snores and goes to bed five hours later than I [do]. We sleep apart and still have a happy marriage. - Julie Arcila
Separate beds and bathrooms! It started because he worked nights and I worked days. Now we both work days but enjoy sleep. We love each other, but we don't need to have sleepless nights in the same bed to prove that. - Meredith Watson
But others were more skeptical:
Weird! Highly individualistic times we live in! People are too used to living for themselves rather than compromising. - Rinki Varindani
Head over to CNN Living to read Cohen's blog on how sleeping separately saved her marriage. Then, tell us what you think of the idea in the comments.
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