Martin Lewis sparks debate by asking couples if they sleep in same bed

Martin Lewis has sparked a debate online by asking couples to share their sleeping arrangements.

The Money Saving Expert founder has had more than 74,000 responses to a poll on social media site X, formerly Twitter.

The dad-of-one wrote: “Today’s Twitter Poll: Do you and your live in partner/spouse sleep in the same or separate bedrooms? Article in today’s Times, ‘No shared beds please, we’re middle class.’ Writer says “she’s odd one out among her friends by sleeping with her husband”.

“I wanted to see how widespread this is, which of these is CLOSEST to your situation with your partner..”

More than 74,000 people have taken part in the poll with an overwhelming number saying they do share a bed with their partner.

The reasons could range from preference to lack of space for separate sleeping arrangements. Here’s Martin’s poll results at the time of writing:

• 13.5 per cent of people who answered do not live with a partner
• 70.5 per cent of people share a bed with their loved one
• 1.1 per cent have separate beds in the same room
• 14.9 per cent have different bedrooms

Naturepedic, an organic mattress manufacturer, conducted a survey involving 400 subjects who are in “healthy relationships but do not share a bed with their significant other”.

When questioned about why couples chose to sleep separately, snoring and conflicting sleep/wake schedules received 57 per cent and 56 per cent of the total vote respectively, reports the Manchester Evening News.

It was observed that reasons varied across different generations:

• Conflicting Sleep Schedules: 63 percent of Millennials and 62 percent of Gen Z-ers say conflicting sleep/wake schedules are why they sleep in separate beds or rooms.
• Snoring: 68 per cent of Baby Boomers report snoring was their deciding factor.
• Intimacy Issues: 23 per cent of Gen X and 28 percent of Millennials who sleep apart also reported “intimacy issues” were a significant cause.
• Mattress Preferences: Gen Z-ers were the most likely to say they wanted control over their mattress’ firmness or softness.
• Sleep Disorders: 54 per cent of Millennials stated sleep disorders caused them to sleep separately, compared to only 22 per cent of Baby Boomers.

The study showed that more than 40 percent of people who share a bed with their partners have had their relationship questioned due to sleep problems. However, 60 percent of those who sleep separately reported feeling less stressed.

Those who sleep separately also reported better sleep and fell asleep faster. A total of 90 respondents who sleep separately from their partners say it takes them 10 minutes or fewer to fall asleep, compared to 75 respondents who share a bed.