A third of Americans look forward to nights their partner isn’t home — because they get the bed to themselves, according to new research.
The survey of 2,000 Americans who live with a partner found 36% appreciate when either they or their partner isn’t at home, as they don’t have to share a bed.
Maybe that’s because the results show that four in five respondents (82%) admit their partner’s sleeping habits consistently wake them up during the night.
Their partner snoring (52%), scrolling through their phone before bed (33%) and getting up at night to use the bathroom (33%) were found to be the most common sleep-disruptive habits.
Not only that, but a quarter of respondents also deal with their partner hogging the covers (27%), tossing and turning during the night (25%) or “starfishing” across the bed (21%).
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Avocado Green Mattress, the survey found that despite these annoyances, the majority of respondents aren’t quite ready to consider a “sleep divorce” from their partner.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents share a bed with their partner, while the remaining 21% either sleep in different rooms (10%), sleep separately in the same room (5%) or admit it “depends on the night” (6%).
This varies dramatically by generation: only 2% of Gen Zers surveyed said they sleep in a different room than their partner, compared to one in five baby boomers (18%).
Regardless of generation, only a fifth (21%) of those who currently share a bed believe they’ll sleep in separate beds in the future — but that’s not to say some couples haven’t found benefits in sleeping separately.
Results revealed that 42% of those who sleep separately from their partner believe it’s “rejuvenated” their relationship — and 23% believe it’s also improved their sex life with their partner.
Not only that, but 70% believe their quality of sleep has increased as a result of sleeping in a separate bed from their partner.
“If your partner snores, consider gifting them a wedge pillow. It can be hard to sleep when someone’s snoring in the same bed as you, but a wedge-shaped pillow can help reduce snoring throughout the night and ensure both you and your partner wake up feeling refreshed,” said Christine Carpio, Avocado's Senior Manager of Community + Social Impact.
Even if they’re not looking for a “sleep divorce,” 48% of all respondents admit their sleep quality does improve when they’re sleeping in a bed alone, versus sleeping with their partner.
But they might not truly be alone — the survey also asked respondents if they have young children, under the age of six (20% of respondents), or a dog or cat (38% of respondents).
Of those respondents (74% of the total), 24% admitted they’d rather sleep with their child and/or their pet than they would their partner.
“The good news is, ‘sleep divorce’ isn't the only way to improve the quality of your sleep. Investing in a mattress, pillows and bedding made of comfortable and supportive materials can improve sleep for you and your partner — as well as child or a pet, if they’re in bed with you — leading to less tossing and turning and significantly better sleep,” said Laura Scott, Avocado Green's Director of Brand Marketing.
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans who live with a partner was commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress between Feb. 27 and March 1, 2024. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
