Katherine Ryan’s had a sleep divorce. What do we know about it?
Exploring the practical benefits and misconceptions of sleep divorce for couples seeking better rest and relationship harmony.
The bigger story is changing attitudes
It still has possible downsides
It can help the relationship, not harm it
Better sleep is the main potential benefit
The trend is more common than many assume
Snoring is one of the clearest triggers
This is not a sudden new revelation
Young children seem to be a major reason
Katherine Ryan has spoken about preferring to sleep alone
It means sleeping separately, not splitting up
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The phrase “sleep divorce” sounds more dramatic than it really is. In practice, it usually means a couple chooses to sleep in separate beds or separate rooms in order to get better rest. Sleep experts describe it as a practical arrangement rather than a relationship crisis, and recent survey data suggest it is far from unusual.
Katherine Ryan has helped bring the term back into public conversation by speaking openly about her own sleeping setup with husband Bobby Kootstra. Her comments suggest that the arrangement is tied less to relationship trouble than to parenting demands, snoring, and the basic reality that uninterrupted sleep can be hard to come by in a house with young children.