2026-05-18 14:29:46
Sharing a bedtime with your partner could be the secret to a better night’s sleep, researchers have revealed.
Scientists found couples who go to bed together drift off more quickly and spend less time tossing and turning compared to partners with mismatched sleep schedules.
But if one half of the couple climbs into bed while the other is still trying to nod off, the disruption can wreak havoc on sleep.
The study, led by Seoul National University and published in the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ journal BJPsych Open, tracked 859 married couples over the age of 60 for eight years.
Researchers discovered couples with matching bedtimes fell asleep in around 24 minutes on average.
But if one partner arrived during what experts called the “fragile sleep window”, the other could take as long as 63 minutes to finally doze off.
Professor Ki Woong Kim, the senior author of the study, said: “The problem with different bedtimes comes when one partner climbs into bed while the other is still trying to fall asleep – the fragile 20 to 30 minute window before sleep is established.
“During that window the brain is highly reactive to light, sound and movement, and a partner getting into bed effectively resets the clock on sleep onset.”
Researchers also found those disturbed while drifting off spent around 14 per cent of the night awake, compared to less than six per cent for couples who went to bed together.
Women appeared to suffer the most from bedtime mismatches.
Over the eight-year study, women whose partners regularly came to bed later while they were falling asleep took six minutes longer to drift off each year.
Even night owls who joined a sleeping partner later on were not immune, with researchers finding they still reported poorer sleep quality overall.
Professor Kim said bedtime routines may affect more than just sleep.
He explained: “Even for couples where one person goes to bed after the other is already fast asleep, having different bedtimes may make them less satisfied in their relationships, which may cause stress and sleeplessness.”
Kim added: “Going to bed at the same time as your partner is an easy tactic to try, which can be implemented straight away without sleeping pills.”
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