Sleeping alone is good for you

Published on Wednesday 9 September 2009 00:29

COUPLES should consider sleeping apart for the good of their health, an expert has claimed.

Research suggests that sharing a bed is bad for sleep, Dr Neil Stanley, who set up one of Britain's leading sleep laboratories at the University of Surrey, told the British Science Festival. One study

revealed that the longer couples had spent together, the more likely they were to have separate rooms. By the time they were in their 70s, 40 per cent of couples slept apart.

Dr Stanley said poor sleep was linked to depression, heart disease, strokes, lung disorders, accidents and divorce.

"If you want to live a happy and healthy life, diet and exercise are important, but so is sleep," he said.