Nearly half of all Britons sleep with their backs to their partner, according to a new survey by hotel chain Travelodge.
Forty-six per cent of couples are more interested in a good night’s sleep than their partners at bedtime, and 80 per cent say they are too tired to kiss their partners goodnight. Ninety per cent do not tell their partners they love them before switching off the bedside lamp.
The survey examined the sleeping habits of 2,000 couples and was conducted with relationship psychologist Corinne Sweet. She said:
“Inevitably, once the first flush of lust wears off… it is more likely that the need for a good night’s sleep predominates, so sleeping back to back becomes a favourable position in bed.”
Other findings include the popularity of the foetal position when sleeping: nearly half of the people surveyed slept in this way, on their sides, with their legs pulled up and their head curled in. Less than a fifth of couples, meanwhile, sleep in the frequently discussed ‘spooning’ position, while a miniscule one per cent of couples favour the ‘romantic movie’ position, with the man lying on his back and the woman resting her head on his shoulder.
Corinne Sweet added: “Individual psychological states also affect how we sleep and the positions we sleep in, so if we are stressed we may be irritable, and not want to snuggle up with our partner. Arguments often lead to sleeping wide apart, as people feel loathe to touch.”
This is very interesting but also very sad.
I’m all for a good nights sleep, but I couldn’t settle if I hadn’t said, ‘I love you,’ and ‘give me a kiss’; even if I was annoyed about something!
Life’s just too short.
Xx
I’m happy as long as they don’t snore or pass wind under the duvet. Many people don’t get to share a bed so its good to be grateful sometimes.
James
Your comment did make me smile!
Xx
My ex wife used to do some really silent but deadly ones sometimes that used to knock me out if I moved the bedding 😉 lol, still, wasn’t why we split.
Earplugs can work for partners, or, as in my case sometimes, neighbors snoring. Like marriage good communication works well on this subject also. I did hear a lot of older people stop sleeping together, perhaps a contributing factor to the riding divorce rate in that age group. A baby crying can also be tricky in the middle of the night x.