Sleep Council offers advice for sharing a bed
The Sleep Council has launched a new campaign encouraging couples to continue to share a bed.
With research indicating that one in four couples now sleep in different rooms, the organisation has openly declared war on what it describes as 'separate rooms syndrome'.
Jessica Alexander of the Sleep Council said sharing a
bed with another person is "the ultimate intimacy" and an activity that is believed by some researchers to have health benefits.
"The latest research from America suggests that this intimacy helps to lower stress hormones and encourage feelings of safety and security," she explained.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have said that sleeping next to someone helps to lower the stress hormone cortisol.
However, loud snoring and other night-time habits such as stealing the duvet can result in many couples choosing to sleep separately.
To make sleeping next to someone as comfortable as possible, the Sleep Council has recommended going to bed at the same time at least three nights a week.
In addition, couples should ensure the bed they sleep in is comfortable for both partners and make the bedroom into "an oasis of calm and tranquillity", the organisation said.
