For love, habit or pure inertia, most people sleep for two, but is this habit not only universal, but also healthier than sleeping alone?
According to the report “Sleep in the open” da GlobeScan, 52% of people in Spain Share the bed at bedtimethe vast majority (96%) with your partner.
However, all people who prefer to sleep together do not do so for health reasons, but by strictly personal or even cultural motives.
However, the publication of some studies suggests that there may be health -related arguments against sleeping alone.
Beyond the emotional aspect of co-sleepingwhich speaks of the reinforcement of self -esteem and self -confidence, a study conducted by the Center for Integrative Psychiatry in Germany and published in the magazine Frontiers, Discover the effects of the presence of bed partners in the neurophysiology of each person.
After analysis, the researchers concluded that sleeping with a partner is Beneficial for health and sleep hygiene.
To reach this conclusion, German scientists worked with 12 couples who slept in a sleep lab And they evaluated, among other things, how they slept individually and how two people were able to synchronize the sleep phases if they shared the bed, taking into account sex or the relationship.
Participants were submitted to dozens of polysomonographs and data analysis revealed that sleeping together, regardless of the characteristics of the relationship, was associated with about 10% more REM sleep (considered the deepest and repairer), with less fragmentation and longer and more uninterrupted phases.
Based on the conclusion of the German study, the truth is that it is not always possible or convenient to share the bed to sleep, since, “if, for example, your partner resonates or suffers from restless legs syndrome, it will most likely have an impact on your sleep quality, as this circumstance will divide your sleep,” warns her sleep, ”warns her sleep. Anjana López DelgadoAssistant Doctor of Clinical Neurophysiology at Marqués de Valdicilla University Hospital.
However, leaving aside this kind of specific situation, the truth is that “many people feel safe when they sleep with a partnerand that makes your BODY RELEASE Oxytocin and serotonintwo hormones directly related to pleasure, ”explains the expert.
The doctor distinguishes two different scenarios that determine the convenience of co-sleeping from the health point of view. “In case of suffering from some kind of disturbance, such as resonate or restless leg syndrome, it is preferable to sleep in separate beds or even in different rooms. On the other hand, if there are no special circumstances, it is likely that Shop together is beneficial to healthdue to the sense of security that accompanies it ”.
According to the, the report had the collaboration of 55,000 people from 57 countries around the worldof which about 1000 were Spanish.
The goal was to evaluate the quality of sleep. For this, a parameter called “sleep index” of 66, five points higher than those who sleep alone.
One of the most interesting aspects of the study focuses on the way couple’s positions in bed (facing each other, back or hugging) influence sleep quality analysis.
The report concludes that couples who sleep face to face, sleep better Getting a 73 score in the sleep index, comparatively with 68 points for those who sleep embraced and 65 for those who sleep their back.
Although the study reveals that position that most favors the quality of sleep is the guy to facethe same report shows that only 4% of couples choose these positions, compared to 46% that do not have a favorite position, 40% that sleep their back and 10% that sleep embracing.
As for the possible relationship between sleep quality and sleeping positions, Anjara does not believe this is a relevant factor, at least not as much as the fact that one of the partners resonate or having restless leg syndrome.
Teresa Oliveira Campos, Zap //
