Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 43-year-old IT professional was unable to sleep at night due to the incessant snoring of his wife, who is also in the same profession. It was not only affecting his work but also the relationship of the couple.
The man approached a psychiatrist and requested him to prescribe sedatives to him. However, the psychiatrist instead suggested that the couple go for ‘Sleep Divorce.’ Accordingly, the couple started sleeping in separate rooms and the problem was solved.
In another case, a young woman was unable to sleep as her hubby was in the habit of moving about his hands and legs in sleep. Every time she got touched by her husband, she woke up and could not sleep again. The daily sleep deprivation led to her gradually slipping into depression. Again, ‘sleep divorce’ was prescribed. The couple began sleeping in different beds and the use of sedatives was avoided.
‘Sleep divorce’ is being prescribed by psychiatrists to people who are unable to get adequate sleep due to their partners. Sometimes snoring may be the reason, at other times the habit of one partner of moving around in sleep or even different sleep patterns, says consultant psychiatrist, Dr Satyakant Trivedi.
According to a survey, in the US, almost one-third couples have opted for ‘sleep divorce’. Dr Trivedi, however, says that social norms prevent the acceptance of this advice in India. “If a couple sleeps in different rooms in our country, it often triggers rumours of ‘kuch to gadbad hai,’ ” he says, adding that “and that is especially true of joint families.”
The mind doctor says that ‘sleep divorce’ can also be a solution in case of couples having small kids who invariably choose to wail at night. In such cases, one partner can sleep in a separate room so that at least he or she can get a good night’s sleep.
What is sleep divorce
Sleep divorce is a term that refers to the decision of a couple to sleep in separate places, such as separate beds or separate rooms. Although it uses the word divorce, sleep divorce is typically not used to imply the couple does not like being together. In most cases, the couple decides to sleep separately for practical reasons.
Why people going for ‘Sleep Divorce’
* Different sleep schedules
* One partner snores
* Different sleep preferences
* Infant sleeping with parents
* Sleep disorders
* One partner moving around often
