Cameron Diaz is right that we need to ‘normalize’ sleep separation, experts say, because ‘people are better off resting alone’

Tis the season – at least according to social media – for love and romance; with kisses under the mistletoe, matching pajamas and festive marriage proposals to go with it.

However, there may be one gift you can give to your loved one this Christmas that could especially benefit your relationship, and even repair an ailing gift: a bedroom of their own.

There is increasing evidence that you fall asleep alone, undisturbed Snoring, coughing, duvet-stealing and other snooping crimes are the key to better sleep, and many famous faces have gotten behind the idea.

The latest is Hollywood star Cameron Diaz, who is very happily married to rock star husband Benji Madden.

The 51-year-old star revealed she believes society should ‘normalise’ couples sleeping in separate rooms and even separate houses.

The actor shared her take on “sleep separation” on an episode of model Molly Sims’ podcast, as they chatted about what they consider a healthy lifestyle.

“We need to normalize separate bedrooms,” Diaz said before explaining her reasoning with Sims and co-host Emese Gormley.

“For me, I would literally say, I have my house, you have yours,” she admitted. ‘We have the family house in the middle. I’m going to sleep in my room. Just go to sleep in your room. I’m fine.’

“And in the middle we have the bedroom where we can gather for our relationships,” the mother of one concluded.

While Diaz has taken pains to point out that she does indeed share a bed with Madden, she isn’t the only one who thinks a sleep separation could provide future-proof relationship happiness.

As the health benefits of good sleep quality are increasingly heralded by doctors, it seems that more and more people who are happy together are choosing to sleep alone.

Many members of the royal family traditionally slept in separate rooms; with King Charles and Queen Camilla reportedly retreating to their own rooms late at night, as the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip once did.

It is also thought that the Prince and Princess of Wales slept separately when they lived at Kensington Palace.

Actress Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton lived happily in separate homes for 13 years before divorcing in 2014 – in neighboring townhouses in London.

And TV star Susannah Constantine admitted earlier this year that she had had a sleep split with husband Sten Bertelsen, saying an ongoing war over who snored ‘the loudest and longest’ had led them to use separate beds.

In an article for MailOnline last month, the stylist wrote how tackling nighttime nuisance had helped ‘fix’ her marriage, saying: ‘We have now thrown in the towel and retreated to separate rooms.

‘I know there’s a stigma about this, but please don’t get me wrong: I love my husband dearly.

She explained: ‘My parents always slept in separate rooms and as a teenager I assumed it was because their marriage was on the rocks. But now I think it’s much more likely that my father’s snoring was the cause.

‘When Sten and I started our sleep separation, I was afraid that our children – aged 24, 22 and 20 – would also think this was the beginning of the end; but in reality, I told them, it was the snoring storms that were putting a strain on the marriage. This was the solution, not the problem.’

There is no escaping the science, says sleep expert and board advisor at Dozy Sleep, Korina Burkhard.

‘People sleep better alone due to less disruptions from a partner and the ability to create an ideal sleep environment.

‘If you sleep alone, you are less likely to be disturbed by someone else’s movements or sounds. Your sleep cycles are not interrupted. This allows the brain and body to fully progress through the essential stages of sleep. You rest better and recover better.’

Kora Habinakova, a sleep expert at Sleepseeker, told MailOnline that we also need to stop thinking about falling asleep alone as a negative for a partnership.

She said: ‘A sleep divorce is a divisive topic and people often associate it with the breakdown of a relationship, but that is not the case. Sharing a bed with someone can often lead to a restless night’s sleep, and a sleep separation may even be the key to improving your relationship.

‘Persistent poor sleep patterns can cause irritability, mood swings and reduced communication and problem solving, all of which can put a strain on your relationship.

‘So if you find yourself losing sleep because of you or your partner’s habits, sleeping separately can be the perfect way to help you both feel more rested and actually reduce conflict.’

What about intimacy? Although many assume that sleeping apart is not conducive to a healthy sex life, Habinakova says that sleep and sex are very different things.

“There are many ways you can maintain intimacy while doing a sleep separation, and many find that the separation actually helps with intimacy because each partner is better rested and less irritable.”

She advises: ‘The most important tip is to prioritize your time, this could be anything from having a meal or spending time in bed together before going to your separate beds.

‘Many couples find that they only need sleep separation during the work week, when life is a bit more hectic, and that returning to the same bed on the weekend, when they have more free time, is a good way to balance both sleep and intimacy to bring.’

There are other variations on the concept if you can’t bear to be separated from your loved one; in Scandinavia, the popular separate duvet keeps couples in the same bed… but gives them a better night’s sleep, killing any argumentsr stealing a double duvet.

Scandinavians have long claimed that every duvet, often in the individual sleeper’s favorite sleepwear, leads to what we all dream of: a decent night’s sleep.