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ORLANDO, Fla. — Snoring, use of continuous positive airway pressure devices, differing schedules, and more can drive couples to sleep in separate rooms at least one or two nights per week. A majority of people reported satisfaction with the arrangement in new research out of Brazil.

Often referred to as “sleep divorce,” the recent study revealed that approximately 1 in 6 couples or 16.5% of 901 people reported sleeping in separate rooms at least part of the time. A similar survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) put the figure at almost one third among Americans.

It was this AASM survey from July 2025 that prompted Luciano F. Drager, MD, PhD, lead author Barbara K. Parise, and their colleagues to analyze sleep data for 1420 Brazilians. Almost 46% reported dissatisfaction with their sleep patterns, and one third said they adopted a sleep divorce because their partner negatively affected their sleep.

The reasons were multifactorial in the study, said Drager, professor of medicine and researcher at the Clinical and Epidemiological Research Center at the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. For example, loud snoring and sleep apnea accounted for 75% of the reasons why couples chose a part-time or full-time sleep divorce.

Overall, 59% pointed to excessive movement by their sleep partner, 61% attributed it to misaligned sleep schedules, and 32% cited use of electronic devices. “As you can see, there is some overlap,” Drager said here during a poster session at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2026 International Conference.

Insomnia, on the other hand, was not a major factor in sleeping separately. The rates of insomnia were slightly higher, about 5% more, in the sleep divorce vs non-sleep divorce group, Drager added.

The investigators also studied the perceptions among those who were sleeping in separate rooms. Nearly, 72% said their partners thought the arrangement was beneficial, and 80% said their partner accepted the sleep divorce. Drager emphasized that the sleeping arrangement was not prompted by any relationship strife in the study.

Sleep, Not Strife

Sleep divorce “is getting attention because people are more vested in their sleep and are recognizing the importance of the sleep environment,” said AASM spokesperson Seema Khosla, MD, who is also medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep in Fargo, North Dakota, when asked to comment.

“What it means is recognizing that sometimes you have different preferences from your bed partner,” such as the temperature in the room, the level of darkness, or the bedding, Khosla said.

A common misperception is that every couple that sleeps in separate rooms is driven apart by relationship problems, she added. This study and the AASM survey show that is not necessarily true. Khosla also said there is some nuance; it doesn’t have to be an every-night sleeping arrangement. For example, “some people will have separate sleep spaces during the work week and then go back to a joint sleeping space on weekends.”

Many of these couples make time for intimacy and togetherness, but they just choose to sleep separately, Khosla said. In her experience, the practice trends toward greater popularity among younger generations.

Physicians counseling a patient or couple on sleep can help them navigate the arrangement. Emphasizing the importance of healthy sleep and perhaps avoiding the “divorce” term might send a more positive message, Khosla said. Some couples also find success with a Scandinavian sleep method, which means using separate blankets or duvets, and prefer this strategy because they still share the same bed, she added.

No matter what the solution, Khosla said that if someone is not well rested, “that’s not great for a relationship either.”

Drager plans to continue the research. “The next step is looking at actigraphy data and lining it up with the sleep divorce results.”

Khosla also hosts an AASM podcast on clinical sleep medicine called “Talking Sleep.”

The São Paulo Research Foundation funded the study. Drager and Khosla reported having no relevant disclosures.

Damian McNamara is a freelance contributor to Medscape Medical News. He worked full-time for Medscape and WebMD from 2018 to 2024. Damian has a BA in chemistry and an MA in science, health, and environmental reporting or journalism.