Some couples across the country are now sleeping in separate rooms, but the separation isn't about trouble in the relationship, it's about trouble sleeping.
Alot of husband and wives do everything together, except sleep. We are one of these couples, we own several companies so we work together, take trips and camp together, every meal together but sleeping together is one thing that gives us the maximum sleep that we need to function to deal with the stress of our companies.
I know that I snore, I go to bed late and get up early, I take up most of the bed, I like to sleep with one leg at a 90 degree angle. My husband snores, he gets up to go to the bathroom, he takes up most of the bed and he goes to bed early and gets up early. This move to separate bedrooms actually helps keep our marriage together.
"Sometimes I think about sleeping together just to cuddle. Then there are the times on trips that we do sleep together. And it helps me understand that we both needed our sleep."
We're not alone. Three-quarters of Americans say they often wake up during the night or snore.
But a growing number of couples have overcome a societal stigma and sleep in separate bedrooms. We are even looking for an RV that has separate bedrooms.
Builders say buyers often ask for separate his-and-her bedrooms. In fact, in a National Association of Home Builders survey, builders predicted 60 percent of custom homes would be built with two master bedrooms by 2015.
"He works late. She e-mails. Whatever the reason, people really just want their privacy and their alone time," said Carol Wall, president of Mitchell Wall Architects. "It's just a new lifestyle choice."
"The reason for being in a separate bedroom is not because you don't like each other it's because we do like each other."
Even the lingo is changing. Instead of the male-dominated phrase "master bedroom," many builders now advertise "owners' suites."
Original article was written by ELISABETH LEAMY
aired on March 13, 2007