“Sleep divorce”: a trend to improve sleep as a couple

Is it trendy to have a separate bedroom? On TikTok, many videos demonstrate the value of “sleep divorce” in maintaining a happy couple. “He snores, I’m a light sleeper, it was obligatory,” confides a mother on the social network. “It’s important to have your own space,” assures another Internet user who makes it a “mandatory” condition for moving in together.

According to an Ifop study on sleep habits, published in 2021, 10% of French people living as a couple sleep separately and 6% do not but would like to. These stable results compared to a survey carried out in 2014. In 2023, 63% of French people sleep poorly, including 23% often, reveals Ipsos. Would the solution be to sleep alone to avoid discomfort and snoring?

A third of American couples

Across the Atlantic, couples are more convinced. According to a survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, published in 2025, nearly a third (31%) of American adults sleep separately, either in another bed or in another room in the house, to get better quality sleep. Among those surveyed, 39% of 35-44 year olds are likely to use it.

Psychologists are more divided. “The bed is the place of truth,” explains Camille Rochet, author of the book Being a Fulfilled Couple to 20 Minutes, pointing out the risk of “barriers” between partners. “Having a separate room is not necessarily a sign that a couple is in trouble,” assures Alice Piat, couples therapist and sexologist, in Psychologies.