The Benefits of a Sleep Buddy
A quarter of U.S. couples sleep apart. Are they missing important health benefits?
Updated Nov. 4, 2013 7:05 p.m. ET
Is sleeping with a loved one more beneficial to your
health than sleeping alone? Heidi Mitchell joins Lunch Break to share
what the experts are saying. Photo: Getty Images.
Stolen sheets, snoring and hot
flashes are just some of the annoyances that lead a quarter of U.S.
couples to sleep apart, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But
do the benefits of sharing a bed outweigh such costs? One neurologist,
Rachel E. Salas, the assistant medical director for the Johns Hopkins
Center for Sleep, shares her expert opinion.
Safety, Warmth
People
have slept in the same bed as a family unit for millennia—mainly for
warmth and protection from predators and outsiders, says Dr. Salas, who
has studied the history of sleep.
"Back
in the cave days and even through recent history, many people didn't
bathe often or have lots of clothes, so they slept naked. Sleeping
together was essential for warmth," she says.
Then as now, she says, it is human to feel safer knowing someone is lying close beside you.
The Science of Spooning
There
have been few scientific studies on couples sleeping together. But
experts say oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, is released during
many types of touching, including cuddling. Increased oxytocin helps the
body relax, reduces blood pressure and promotes healing, Dr. Salas
says. It also results in emotional feelings related to affection,
security and love.
A recent study showed
a link between quality of sleep and couples' daytime interactions. For
men, the better the sleep a couple got, the smoother their next-day
spousal interactions, Dr. Salas says. For women, less negative
interaction with their husbands during the day led to more restful sleep
that night.
"I can't quote any studies,
but from my neurology background, I would suspect that having a person
that you are the protector for or who protects you nearby increases the
release of neurotransmitters involved with good sleep," Dr. Salas says.
James Steinberg
Wake-Up Calls
Getting
quality sleep enhances a person's quality of life, Dr. Salas says.
People with sleep disorders, such as apnea, night terrors or
sleepwalking, may benefit from having a bed partner who can observe
nighttime behaviors and help with a diagnosis.
But
for some people, sleeping together could do more harm than good: "If
you wake up often from ambient noises or get hot in your sleep, keeping
your bed to yourself may be exactly what you need."
'Humans are Social Creatures'
Sleeping
apart is a relatively modern phenomenon and varies across cultures, Dr.
Salas says. "My father is from Mexico and my mom is from Texas, and
both of them slept with all of their brothers and sisters when they were
growing up," she says. If you go to other countries, whole families
still sleep together, she says. "Humans are social creatures. We want
someone nearby.