A British doctor has explained to his 3.4 million TikTok followers why you shouldn’t actually share a bed with your partner.

Dr Karan Raj, shared a video, explaining why sharing a bed can have a negative effect on your wellbeing.

“You should always sleep alone,” he starts the video. “If the other person moves around in their sleep or snores, that will stop you getting into the deep stages of sleep your body needs to recharge, affecting sleep quality.”
“Not everyone shares the same sleep cycles, forcing two people to share the same bedtime will leave one or both chronically sleep-deprived.
“One of the triggers you need to fall asleep is a drop in core body temperature, sharing a bed with someone increases body heat, so it’s going to take longer to fall asleep.”

@dr.karanr

Sleep divorce #sleep #dream #schoolwithdrkaran #learnontiktok #BRITsMOVER

♬ Home – Edith Whiskers

Now, this makes sense!!
I am forever telling my husband to roll over and stop snoring. (Apparently, I am just as bad though!)

Should you sleep alone?

This doctor believes that when couples sleep alone, it’s the best way to get a good night’s rest. When asked about the benefits of sleeping solo, Dr. Raj stated that it allows people to sleep in their preferred position without being disrupted by a partner’s movement.

He also said that people who sleep alone typically sleep more soundly and wake up feeling more rested than those who share a bed. Dr. Raj went on to say that sleeping with a partner can also lead to disruptions such as snoring or disruptive sleep habits.

Benefits when you sleep alone

When you sleep alone can help you get a better night’s sleep
You won’t have to worry about someone disturbing your sleep
You’ll be able to control the temperature and noise level in your room
It can help you focus on your own needs and goals
You’ll have more privacy and freedom

For these reasons, he believes that people should try to sleep alone whenever possible. While some may find the idea of sleeping alone to be unpleasant, Dr. Winter’s argument provides convincing evidence that it is the best way to get a good night’s sleep.

Public’s reaction when couples sleep alone

Dr Raj’s followers thanked him for normalising that to sleep alone, it saved their marriage.

“Can we normalise this please! I love my husband, but I HATE sharing a bed with him. He thinks I’m horrible for thinking this,” she added.
One person wrote, “My husband sleeps in his own room lol he snores and likes the room warm. I love the room cold and quiet. Married 25 years.”
“Proof we’re not weird! Hubby and I have had separate bedrooms for years now,” someone else added.
“I 100% agree with this, my grandparents slept in separate rooms and they are the most happily married couple I’ve ever known,” another said.

Meanwhile, some people can’t sleep alone and prefer the comfort of knowing someone is right beside them.

One comment read, “I sleep a million times better with someone in my bed. I have awful PTSD nightmares and feel safe with someone.”
Others joked that “the cuddles are worth the sleep deprivation.”

But is he right? Research says couples sleeping in the same bed live longer

Couples sleeping in the same bed may live longer and be in better health than people who sleep by themselves, experts say.

In fact, some researchers believe that sleeping with a partner may be a major reason why people in intimate relationships tend to be in better health.
Research suggests sleeping with a partner may promote feelings of safety and security leading to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, lower levels of cytokines that can cause inflammation, and higher levels of the so-called love hormone, oxytocin, which has been shown to ease anxiety and is produced in the same part of the brain responsible for the sleep-wake cycle.

Health Benefits of Sleeping Next to Someone

1. EXPERIENCE BETTER SLEEP QUALITY

Wendy M. Troxel, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, unearthed that women in stable relationships fell asleep faster and had fewer sleep disturbances in the night than single women or when couples decided to sleep alone during the experiment.

2. FALL ASLEEP FASTER

According to research reported by Andrea Petersen (New York Journalist and critically-acclaimed author) in The Wall Street Journal, mental activity makes it difficult to sleep. This is why sleeping next to someone you love is so beneficial. They’ll give you feelings of security so you begin to relax and drift off.

3. LOWERS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

Researchers from the University of North California carried out a sleep and intimacy experiment with 59 women. They asked all participants to diarise their hugs and cuddles, with their oxytocin levels and blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
The findings were that those with the highest levels of oxytocin had the lowest blood pressure.

4. IMPROVES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

“Sexually active people take fewer sick days.”

Scientists from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania examined couples who were regularly intimate. They discovered that sexually active partners were more resistant to common colds and the flu because they produced more antibodies.

5. REDUCES ANXIETY

Research shows that laying beside a loved one is great for your psychological well-being. The Assistant Professor of Psychology, James Coan, administered MRIs to 16 married women and warned them they might experience some type of shock.
When the women held each other’s hands their stress levels decreased, but when they held hands with their husbands, the women became even more relaxed.

6. SLOWS DOWN AGING

Quality time together cuddling, and, having sex, can actually shed years off of you.
Scottish neuropsychologist David Weeks wrote in Secrets of the Superyoung that under these conditions and when you’ve got lower stress levels, your body feels a lot younger – 10 years younger!

7. IMPROVES RELATIONSHIPS

Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, surveyed 1,000 people to gauge whether snuggling up to someone in bed has any effects on your relationship.
It would seem that couples that sleep in bed together, stay together.

8. REDUCES INFLAMMATION

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh firmly believe that sleeping next to someone reduces cortisol levels. When this is reduced, so are cytokines, proteins that are involved in inflammation, and can lead to pain.

Why We Should Always Sleep ALONE

A British doctor has explained to his 3.4 million TikTok followers why you shouldn’t actually share a bed with your partner.

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