According to new research, a man cannot share his bed with a loved-one without dire consequences. To put it more succinctly, he will find that his memory goes, his temper frays and he’ll become incredibly absent-minded.
If asked to perform cognitive tests, he’ll do badly. When men sleep on their own they are, apparently, dead to the world. When they sleep with a woman – regardless or not of whether they’ve made love before dropping off – they are incredibly light sleepers, say researchers from the University of Vienna.
I had done everything in my power not to wake The Boyfriend, but it didn’t matter. Just my presence in the same bed was adversely affecting the quality of his sleep. The report concludes that men who want a good night’s sleep should have their own beds.
I couldn’t agree more! At last, a proper, empirical, tried-and-tested, scientific, academic treatise to reinforce what, deep down, every woman knows to be true, but few of us dare to admit to: that women and men would be a whole lot happier if they didn’t feel they had to actually sleep together because that is what couples do.
For primitive man, sleeping light was an essential for survival. If the hunter was not to become prey himself, he had to be alert to attack at all times and be able to protect his family unit.
Perhaps, today, our men folk are still instinctively protecting us by being such light sleepers. It’s a romantic idea, but a shame, considering the consequences they – and we – must endure the next day.
Interestingly, researchers found that women’s brain power was undiminished by sharing a bed. Indeed, we can sleep through most things; thunderstorms, gales, burglar alarms, breaking glass – anything except the sound of our babies crying. But our quality of sleep is certainly better when we’re sleeping solo.
So a room of one’s own – or at least a bed – is my ideal when I want to retreat from the conjugal mattress. That way, women could continue to wield their mystique – and not be discovered crawling on all fours around the bedroom in the early hours – and men could hang onto their brain power.
Read the entire article at the UK Telegraph
Post a Comment