ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sleep
Sec. Sleep, Behavior and Mental Health
DYADIC SLEEP ARRANGEMENTS, CO-SLEEPING, AND SLEEP DIVORCE IN RELATION TO MARITAL HARMONY AMONG MARRIED COUPLES IN SALEM, TAMIL NADU, INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Provisionally accepted
- Vinayaka Missions University, Salem, India
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Background: Sleep divorce, defined as couples intentionally sleeping separately, is an emerging global phenomenon but remains underexplored in India. Sleep disturbances affect not only individual health but also interpersonal functioning and marital harmony. This study aimed to examine the associations between dyadic sleep arrangements (co-sleeping and sleep divorce), sleep quality, sleep hygiene, and marital harmony among married couples in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 278 married individuals in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India, using simple random sampling. Data were collected using standardized instruments, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI), Sleep Hygiene Index(SHI), and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale(RDAS). Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to assess associations between variables. Results: Among the participants, 47.8% reported co-sleeping, while 52.2% practiced sleep divorce. Personal preference, childcare responsibilities, and comfort-related factors were the most commonly reported reasons for adopting separate sleeping arrangements. Marital harmony was higher among co-sleeping couples compared to those practicing sleep divorce. Sleep quality was strongly associated with sleep hygiene. Although most participants reported good sleep hygiene and good sleep quality, a high proportion reported marital distress. Conclusion: Dyadic sleep arrangements play an important role in marital harmony among married couples in India. Co-sleeping was associated with higher marital harmony, while sleep divorce appeared to function as an adaptive strategy to protect sleep quality in the presence of disturbances. The coexistence of good sleep practices with high marital distress highlights the complex interplay between sleep behavior and relationship dynamics. These findings underscore the need to integrate sleep health discussions into couple-based interventions and public health strategies aimed at improving the overall well-being of married couples.
Keywords: Co-sleeping, Dyadic sleep arrangements, marital harmony, married couples, Sleep divorce, Sleep Hygiene, sleep quality
Received: 14 Nov 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Varadharajan, Krishnamoorthy, Gunasekaran, Balasundaram and T. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Priyanka Krishnamoorthy
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