Are you a closet separate sleeper? Do you hide your separate sleeping from someone or everyone? Do you join in conversations with your friends when they complain about how their wife or husband kept them awake last night because of snoring or blanket hogging and pretend to share the pain of sleepless nights?
Why?
I have always been fascinated by the ferocity and audacity with which people feel they can give their opinions about births, weddings and funerals. There is a PHD out there about the need that people have to give their opinions about these significant life events. (There probably is a PHD out there, truth be told) Sleeping alone, or with your partner is another ‘event’ that attracts a ridiculously disproportionate amount of other people’s opinions.
Again….. why?
If you decide that you need x number of hours of sleep each night to function and the only way you can do that is by sleeping in a room by yourself, then why is that anyone else’s business? I am truly perplexed.
A segment of an American talk back/news show from KTLA Los Angeles – called ‘Water Cooler Buzz’ – has a determined separate sleeping advocate (god bless her) being savaged by a gaggle (I did keep thinking of awkwardly squawking geese when watching the clip) of presenters when advocating separate beds for couples.
I always ponder where the critics’ fear lie? Why can’t they simply respond by saying ‘That’s interesting, and if it works for you, then that’s great’. Because that should be the response when someone is explaining how THEIR relationship works. Why does everyone’s relationship have to be the same? Tres ennuyeux!!
I think Sophie Keller acquitted herself admirably against the ‘gaggle’. Although, if it had been me, I would like to think I could have exuded a little more confidence.
My name is Jennifer Adams and I sleep separately.
(And if you don’t, and lie awake night after night, you don’t know what you are missing!)