Why is sleep so important?
Straight up, I'm going to say that I'm not going to be the best source of information about why sleep is so important. I know why it is (trust me), but there are thousands of scientists and sleep researchers around the world who can explain it far more wisely and eloquently that I can.
I assume one of the reasons you are here is that you are not getting enough sleep and are looking for answers about how to get a good night's sleep every night, not just some... or none.
Sleep is now spoken in the same sentences as diet and exercise as key to managing our health. The list of health issues that can be attributed to poor sleep grows each year. Here are but a few helpful links to others who are far more qualified to talk about sleep than I am...
Sleep 101: Why Sleep Is So Important to Your Health
And there are many, many more pages you can search to find out how you are jeopardising your health by not getting GOOD sleep each night.
So... if one partner is disturbing their partner's sleep every night and they know it's affecting their health, you would wonder why they keep getting into that bed every night?
And this is where the power of social constructs and learned (and self-imposed) behaviours come into play. The message that a happy couple sleep in the same bed and an unhappy couple doesn't is a powerful message that, for some people, trumps the logic of science.
I understand for some couples acts such as sleeping together in a bed, in a room, is a really fundamental statement about their relationship - and there's no judgement. When I speak to couples though, there has to be a challenge about the long-term issues sleep deprivation will have on their relationship.
Given that sleep deprivation can impact a person's life span due to such factors as stress placed on the heart, what's the real cost of sticking it out in the same bed? Even sleeping separate for SOME will provide some nights of the necessary quality sleep needed for maintenance of physical, mental, and emotional health.
If you really care about your partner, heading to separate rooms might be the best way you can tell them how much you really love them. It's worth a bit more research and possibly a careful conversation.