One Couple, Two Beds

Did you know that one out of every four couples sleep in separate beds? That’s according to the National Sleep Foundation. Our Shine viewers confirmed that sleeping apart is not uncommon. In fact, when we polled our Shine Facebook family the number of couples who sleep separately was even greater than the national statistic. Almost half of those who responded say they sleep apart from their partner! Kendra from Arkansas says, “Both separate beds and opposite ends of the house”. Deb from Iowa writes, “Separate and love it”.

This sleeping apart trend can create a design dilemma for a lot of couples out there, but interior designers like Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, founder of the design website Apartment Therapy, says there are all sorts of great new ways to make sleeping apart, stylish and comfortable. “It’s more prevalent than we thought. We’ve been seeing a lot of it on our site.”

The Shine's Host Allison Fishman is wearing:                                                                                            Dress by LOFT Ann Taylor
Ring by Melanie Auld
Shoes by Aldo

Many couples say snoring is the reason they sleep apart. But there could be other things, like a partner working on a computer late into the night, noisy neighbors, stress....all can deprive a partner from getting a good night's sleep. “What they have decided is, it’s better to get a good night’s sleep, than to try and fit it all into one bed. And they are happy”, says Gillingham-Ryan.

So we asked, how do you have a beautiful bedroom, when you are married but sleeping apart? “We’re seeing a fascination on our site with twin bedrooms. But the interesting thing is, it’s not kid bedrooms it’s adult bedrooms.” Gillingham-Ryan says the color palette in these bedrooms with twin beds is very adult, lots of greys and blues. Headboards are romantic and sophisticated. “When you don’t have a lot of space, twin beds is the only solution”, says Gillingham- Ryan. He also talks about the importance of creating balance in the space. Beds should be similar, or the same, and anchored together by a central element, like a table. According to Gillingham- Ryan, “People want the separation but they don’t want the design discord.”

And this separation concept is also popular in other rooms of the home, says Gillingham-Ryan. He says it sometimes starts with separate bathrooms. One can be totally masculine, while the other, very feminine. All and all, Gillingham- Ryan says, “It’s a space for self expression.”

Do you and your partner sleep in separate beds? Let us know in the poll below.