ADULTS sleep better together than they do alone, according to an American study on sleep. The research concludes that people who share their bed with a partner sleep more and better than those who sleep alone.
To get a good night's sleep, is it better to sleep alone or alongside a partner? This is the question that a team of researchers from the University of Arizona set out to answer.
To do so, they asked 1,007 volunteers – adults living in Pennsylvania – to answer an online questionnaire about their sleeping habits.
In the past month, did they share their bed, and how often? With what kind of partners? Their spouse, a child, a pet or no one? Volunteers were also asked to provide information about the quality of their sleep.
After analyzing the answers, the experts noted that people who share their bed with a spouse or romantic partner sleep better than others. They have less severe insomnia, fall asleep more easily, sleep longer and have shorter waking phases, compared to people who spend the night alone.
Sleeping alone was associated with higher depression and worse life satisfaction.
Parents who sleep with their children most nights reported greater insomnia severity than the other volunteers, as well as more fatigue and a higher level of stress.
"Very few research studies explore this, but our findings suggest that whether we sleep alone or with a partner, family member, or pet may impact our sleep health," said senior study author Dr Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona.
"We were very surprised to find out just how important this could be." – ETX Daily Up, June 10, 2022
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