Sharing a life does not always mean sharing a mattress through eight hours of snoring, stolen blankets, and mismatched alarm clocks. In the 2025 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey, 31% of US adults reported sleeping in another bed or room to accommodate a partner, while a National Sleep Foundation poll found 6% of partnered adults ages 25 to 55 sleep alone on most nights.
Nearly a third of US adults have tried a “sleep divorce”
Sleep researchers and clinicians often use the informal phrase “sleep divorce” when partners sleep in separate beds or separate rooms to protect their rest. In the 2025 Sleep Prioritization Survey conducted by Atomik Research for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), which polled 2,007 adults across the United States from June 5 to 13, 2025 (margin of error plus or minus 2 percentage points), respondents were asked whether they had adjusted their sleep routine to accommodate a bed partner.
Overall, 31% of US adults reported sleeping in another bed in the same bedroom or sleeping in another space to accommodate a bed partner. Because respondents could select more than one adjustment, that 31% net figure combined 23% who slept in another space (such as a guest room or couch) and 13% who slept in another bed in the same bedroom. Even more common was shifting bedtime: 37% of adults went to sleep at a different time than they wanted, and 15% used a silent alarm, while 39% chose none of the listed adjustments, meaning 61% modified their routine in at least one way (our arithmetic).
| Group (2025 AASM survey, n = 2,007) | Slept in another bed or space (net) | Slept in another bed in same bedroom | Slept in another space | Went to sleep at a different time | Used a silent alarm | None of these adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All US adults (n = 2,007) | 31% | 13% | 23% | 37% | 15% | 39% |
| Men (n = 1,005) | 36% | 17% | 26% | 38% | 17% | 35% |
| Women (n = 999) | 27% | 10% | 20% | 37% | 12% | 43% |
| Ages 18 to 24 (n = 233) | 33% | 16% | 21% | 34% | 19% | 42% |
| Ages 25 to 34 (n = 397) | 34% | 16% | 24% | 41% | 19% | 34% |
| Ages 35 to 44 (n = 398) | 39% | 17% | 29% | 41% | 22% | 31% |
| Ages 45 to 54 (n = 347) | 33% | 13% | 24% | 39% | 14% | 36% |
| Ages 55 to 64 (n = 332) | 25% | 9% | 20% | 35% | 7% | 46% |
| Ages 65 and older (n = 300) | 18% | 5% | 16% | 30% | 5% | 53% |
In the 2025 AASM survey, men were more likely than women to report sleeping in another bed or another room to accommodate a partner: 36% of men (17% in another bed in the same bedroom and 26% in another space) compared with 27% of women (10% in another bed and 20% in another space). Across age groups, adults ages 35 to 44 were the most likely to sleep apart at 39% (17% in another bed in the same room and 29% in another space), while adults 65 and older were the least likely at 18% (5% in another bed and 16% in another space).
How recent AASM waves compare, from earplugs to separate blankets
The 2025 figures closely track the previous two annual AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey waves. In the May 2024 wave of 2,006 US adults, 29% net reported sleeping in another bed in the same bedroom (13%, or 254 respondents) or in another space (21%, or 419 respondents) to accommodate a bed partner, while 33% (664) went to sleep at a different time than desired, 11% (220) used a silent alarm, and 44% (892) made none of those adjustments. That 2024 survey also asked about the “Scandinavian sleep method,” in which partners share one bed frame and mattress but each person uses a separate blanket or comforter: 10% of US adults reported trying it.
In the March 2023 AASM wave of 2,005 US adults, the questionnaire separated occasional and consistent room changes: 20% of respondents (391 adults) reported sleeping in another room occasionally to accommodate a bed partner, and 15% (309 adults) reported sleeping in another room consistently. In that same 2023 survey, 33% (660) went to sleep earlier or later than desired, 18% (358) used an eye mask, 16% (325) used a silent alarm, and 15% (303) used earplugs.
Why different polls produce different percentages
Whether a study finds that 6%, 15%, 19%, or 31% of people sleep apart depends on three design choices: whether the sample includes all adults or only cohabiting couples, whether the question asks about “most nights” or any adjustment (occasional or consistent), and whether non-cohabiting dating partners are counted.
| Study and survey year | Sample and age range | Exact question focus | Share sleeping apart or alone |
|---|---|---|---|
| AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey (2025) | 2,007 US adults (ages 18+) | Adjusted sleep routine by sleeping in another bed in same room (13%) or another space (23%) to accommodate a bed partner | 31% net |
| AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey (2024) | 2,006 US adults (ages 18+) | Slept in another bed in same room (13%) or another space (21%) to accommodate a bed partner | 29% net |
| AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey (2023) | 2,005 US adults (ages 18+) | Slept in another room to accommodate a bed partner (occasionally vs consistently) | 20% occasionally; 15% consistently |
| National Sleep Foundation Bedroom Poll (2012) | 1,500 US adults ages 25 to 55 (partnered/cohabiting subset) | Who you sleep with in your bed on most nights (89% with significant other) | 6% sleep alone on most nights (11% not with significant other) |
| National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project Wave 1 (2005 to 2006) | 2,417 US adults ages 57 to 85 (national probability sample) | How often in the last month you slept in the same bed with your spouse or romantic partner | 19% never; 11% some of the time (among all respondents; 16% had no partner) |
When a poll restricts the question to married, partnered, or cohabiting adults and asks about **most nights**, the share sleeping alone drops sharply. In the National Sleep Foundation’s 2012 Bedroom Poll, a random-digit-dial telephone survey of 1,500 US adults ages 25 to 55 conducted by WB&A Market Research (margin of error plus or minus 2.5 percentage points), respondents were asked who they sleep with in their bed on most nights. Across all 1,500 respondents ages 25 to 55 (including single adults), 70% slept with their significant other and 22% slept alone. Among respondents who were married, had a partner, or lived with someone, 89% slept with their significant other on most nights, 10% slept with a child, 9% slept with a pet, and 6% reported sleeping alone on most nights, leaving 11% who did not report sharing a bed with their significant other on most nights (our arithmetic).
Among older Americans, a nationally representative benchmark comes from Wave 1 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), which interviewed a probability sample of 3,005 community-residing US adults ages 57 to 85 in 2005 and 2006, with 84% returning a self-administered leave-behind questionnaire. On the item asking “In the last month, how often did you sleep in the same bed with your spouse or romantic partner?” (2,417 observations reported by Diane S. Lauderdale and colleagues in 2014), 55% answered all or most of the time, 11% answered some of the time, 19% answered never, and 16% reported having no spouse or romantic partner. Why was the “never” share 19% even though older adults in the 2025 AASM poll were the least likely to report a sleep divorce? The NSHAP questionnaire instructed respondents to use their own definition of “romantic partner” and did not require that the partner live in the same household, so older adults with non-cohabiting romantic partners were included in that count.
The short version
In the 2025 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey of 2,007 US adults, 31% reported sleeping in another bed in the same room (13%) or in another space (23%) to accommodate a bed partner, up from 29% in 2024. When polls ask specifically about sleeping apart on most nights among married or cohabiting adults ages 25 to 55, as in the National Sleep Foundation Bedroom Poll, 89% share a bed with their significant other on most nights and 6% sleep alone.
Last checked: October 27, 2026, against the American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2023, 2024, and 2025 Sleep Prioritization Survey reports, the National Sleep Foundation 2012 Bedroom Poll, and National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project Wave 1 data in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B. This article was machine-checked against the sources above and has not been expert-reviewed. Spotted an error or a newer public figure? Please tell us on our contact page with the article link and we will review it.
Sources
- S1 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sleep Prioritization Survey 2025: Adjusting Your Sleep Routine, and Trouble in Bed: Over a Third of Americans Have Adjusted Their Sleep Routine to Accommodate a Partner. July 2025. https://aasm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/sleep-prioritization-survey-2025-adjusting-your-sleep-routine.pdf and https://aasm.org/new-survey-data-sleep-divorce/ Accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- S2 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sleep Prioritization Survey 2024: Sleep Divorce, and Survey Shows nearly 1 in 3 Americans Opt for a “Sleep Divorce”. July 2024. https://aasm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sleep-prioritization-survey-2024-sleep-divorce.pdf and https://aasm.org/survey-shows-1-in-3-americans-opt-for-sleep-divorce/ Accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- S3 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sleep Prioritization Survey 2023: Sleep Divorce, and Over a Third of Americans Opt for a “Sleep Divorce”. July 2023. https://aasm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/sleep-prioritization-survey-2023-sleep-divorce.pdf and https://aasm.org/over-a-third-of-americans-opt-for-a-sleep-divorce/ Accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- S4 National Sleep Foundation. 2012 Bedroom Poll: Summary of Findings. https://www.thensf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2012-Bedroom-Poll-Report.pdf Accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- S5 Diane S. Lauderdale, L. Philip Schumm, Lianne M. Kurina, Martha McClintock, Ronald A. Thisted, Jen-Hao Chen, and Linda Waite. Assessment of Sleep in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69(Suppl 2), S125 to S133 (2014). DOI 10.1093/geronb/gbu092. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4303091/ Accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- S6 Stephen Smith, Angela Jaszczak, Jessica Graber, Katie Lundeen, Sara Leitsch, Erin Wargo, and Colm O’Muircheartaigh. Instrument Development, Study Design Implementation, and Survey Conduct for the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 64B(Suppl 1), i20 to i29 (2009). DOI 10.1093/geronb/gbn013. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2800812/ and NSHAP Wave 1 Instruments https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/files/NACDA/pdf/nshap_w1_instruments_2011-11-22.pdf Accessed Oct 27, 2026.