Why Some Couples Choose to Sleep Separately

Struggling with sleep disturbances, but don't want to sleep apart? Try these tips

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FROM C1 These stages, he explains, are important for physical repair, emotional regulation and memory consolidation.

"Over time, insufficient or poor-quality sleep can negatively impact mood, hinder daytime functioning and increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular, metabolic and psychological disorders such as coronary artery disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and depression," says Dr Lim.

For Mr Imran Johri, 50, and Ms Ivy Lee, 41, sleeping separately has been an on-and-off arrangement since the birth of their second child in 2015.

At that time, to avoid disturbing Mr Imran, a marketing director at investment company BigFundr, Ms Lee would often take their son out of the bedroom to breastfeed and sleep on the sofa bed in the living room.

Around that time, Mr Imran's snoring also became louder, prompting her to sleep in the living room several times a week.

"There were times when I told him that his snoring was affecting my sleep. So, I suggested that I go to bed first because once I have fallen asleep, the snoring doesn't bother me," says the stay-at-home mother and freelance mediator.

The couple have three children aged 11, 10 and six.

WOMEN'S HORMONAL CHANGES CAN AFFECT SLEEP In 2020, however, Ms Lee began experiencing perimenopause symptoms, such as feeling cold and being unable to tolerate the air-conditioning in their bedroom. But Mr Imran struggled to sleep without it.

Ms Lee often felt physically uncomfortable in the cold. She experienced cramps and insomnia, which led her to move to the living room once or twice a month for better rest at night.

According to the study by Resmed, 17 per cent of women in Singapore experience disrupted sleep, with hormonal changes identified as a key contributing factor, compared with 13 per cent of men.