15 Mar Turn Off the TV and Go to Bed the Same Time as Your Wife

We all have our evening routines. Those little things that we like to do before we drift off to sleep for the night. For many of us, that includes sitting on the couch, unwinding and watching some television. However, if that routine means leaving your wife to go bed on her own—you may be doing more harm to yourself than you realize, and we aren’t just talking about having an annoyed spouse.

There is significant research on the benefit of spouses going to bed and sleeping at the same time, especially for couples who have been together for 10 or more years. According to one study by the Gottman Institute, one of the common reasons marriages end is due to a loss of intimacy and connection—particularly 10 to 12 years into the relationship. Less time together, less conversation, less appreciation and less intimacy are all major factors that can lead to the demise of any marriage.

While there are many things that both spouses can do in order to help bring the intimacy back into the relationship like date nights and spontaneity, one of the easiest and most effective is to start going to bed at the same time.

If you are someone who tends to stay up late while your wife goes to bed before you, then you are not alone. Research shows that about 75% of couples, don’t go to bed at the same time. Typically, one party is staying up working, surfing the web, or more commonly, watching TV.

This isn’t just for those couples that have been together for years either. On average, couples tend to stop going to bed at the same time around 3 ½ years into a relationship.

As if this didn’t convince you, here are a few other reasons why you should consider turning off the television and going to bed at the same time as your partner.

• It can help you get more sleep. Let’s be honest, we could all use a little more.
• Couples who have mismatched sleep patterns have less sex.
• Married couples who have different sleep and wake patterns tend to have more marital conflicts.
• Female partners view daytime interactions more positively the day after they go to bed with their significant others.
• Male partners simply need to get a good night’s sleep to make them feel more positive about their interactions with their wife the next day—but let’s be honest when you’re both feeling more positive, it can really help.
• It can create a sense of loneliness and can further separate a couple.
• It can help introduce more intimacy into the relationship, even if you aren’t having sex.
• Men who don’t go to sleep at the same time as their wives are more likely to experience depression and a low sex drive.

So, next time you think about staying up to watch TV instead of crawling into bed with your wife, think again and consider turning off the TV instead. Going to bed with your partner is just one way to help maintain closeness with your spouse—and get the sleep you need to live your best, healthiest life. Give LT Men’s Clinic a call at 817-369-3605 to set up an appointment today to speak with one of our experts.