Many couples’ nights in bed are far from peaceful these days, and even Hollywood’s biggest celebrities are not immune.
More and more stars are opting for a “sleep divorce”, which means they sleep in separate rooms (and at least in separate beds, The Dick Van Dyke Show-style). Snoring, conflicting schedules and insomnia are growing problems that seem to be getting worse in the modern world, triggering more sleep deprivation than ever.
Many couples even celebrate the idea, claiming on TikTok that it’s the only way to maintain a healthy nighttime routine. But before you move into separate bedrooms, are there easier solutions? Some solutions are far less dramatic (and cheaper than creating a completely different bedroom).
Let’s see why some star couples went through a “sleep divorce” and find out how to sleep better with a partner.
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden
Cameron Diaz has previously publicly stated her support for sleepover divorces. She said that even before she married her rock star husband, Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden, she was a big believer in breaking up with her partner before bed.
“We should normalize separate bedrooms,” Diaz said in one Lipstick on the edge interview. “I go to sleep in my room. You go to sleep in your room. I’m fine. And we have the bedroom in the middle that we can meet in for our, you know, relationships.”
While Diaz hasn’t delved into what exactly sparked her desire for a sleep divorce, her lingering thoughts on the matter lead us to believe she has a particular vision for her bedroom or a routine she doesn’t want interrupted.
Instead of breaking the bank to build out her three-bedroom setup, perhaps she could have worked with her partner to find a happy medium to get what she and Madden each want in a bedroom. Maybe it’s a matter of lighting; get some softer and dimmable lighting. If it’s a screen time issue, remove the TV from the room. You can even rig up a bed with separate blankets to reduce blanket hogging and temperature conflicts.
Carson Daly and Siri Pinter
TRL legend Carson Daly and his wife, Siri, went through a sleep divorce during her pregnancy and never looked back. They cited several super relatable issues that made sleeping in the same room difficult.
“I have sleep apnea, my wife is pregnant, and during a home renovation we downgraded to a queen bed. We just felt we were better off sleeping in different beds,” Daly shared PEOPLE a few years back. He added of his CPAP machine: “It’s like sleeping next to Darth Vader. Really attractive, huh? Most women want to sleep in another bedroom. … I don’t snore anymore, but the noise of the machine keeps her up.”
With all the stressors in the bedroom, paired with the Dalys self-reported anxiety problemsmade a perfect formula for a sleep divorce. However, Daly or his wife should try one more thing before they retire to separate bedrooms for good.
Oola Sleep Ease Gummies can help a couple in a situation like this put their mind at ease. The hemp-based formula, which combines cannabinoids and calming ingredients like chamomile, supports relaxation and helps you unwind.
While gummies like these are just one of many options to help — and not a miracle cure for all the restlessness that comes when your mind is racing before bed — it might be worth trying to take the edge off your brain.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey
Big Bang theory star Kaley Cuoco and her Ozark actor husband Tom Pelphrey’s sleep divorce came down to one thing: planning.
“He writes at night. He reads. That’s his quiet time,” Cuoco continued Armchair expert. “So he’s up late and wakes up late on a non-work day. We established this from day one. I go to bed early and I wake up early. We have completely different sleep schedules.”
Respectively, as someone who has often worked on a different schedule than their significant other, there are better ways. Blackout curtains can help the sleeper stay asleep when the early riser stirs. You don’t even need an expensive choice, I’ve had success with your off the shelf choices from Walmart and Home Goods.
As for not waking up early in the late night bed party, I bet a white noise machine can help mask the bumps and creaks of a bed-climbing partner.
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard
Speaking of Armchair expert, its host, Dax Shepard, and his wife, Frozen and Nobody wants this star Kristen Bell, have some nightly problems to solve. The couple has yet to reveal whether they’re experiencing a complete sleep divorce, but we bet they’ll discuss it.
The couple admits watching TV in the bedroom with their children right before bed, which is not exactly a way to get your brain ready for sleep. Bell also once vented toSelf about how Shepard has a lot of energy late into the night, which is a problem for her.
“Dax gets most of his energy at night, and I’m the opposite,” Bell told the paper. “It’s always been weird for us. He comes home after work and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, take it down a notch.’ He has to tell me if he feels aroused or fresh because it’s a lot of energy for me to handle at 22.
This household has nighttime chaos written all over it – but that’s more than understandable when there are small children around. Our advice to Bell and Shepard (and anyone else in a similarly boisterous household), just sit down and do a nightly routine. Maybe cut screen time earlier, reduce general stimulation, and just make sure you’re setting yourself up for success before the full-on-sleep divorce.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk
Actress and GOOP entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow has not been shy about her unconventional lifestyle. She and American Horror Story Producer Brad Falchuk has a sleep divorce setup three nights a week. In fact, they don’t even live in the same home half the week.
It has apparently become an idealized lifestyle in Hollywood, where Paltrow tells Sunday Times: “All my married friends say the way we live sounds ideal and we shouldn’t change a thing.”
With all due respect to the Shakespeare in Love Oscar winner, that seems like a bit of an overcorrection. While both parties in a relationship need some time to relax individually, paying two mortgages seems like a bit much.
We would recommend that the couple enjoy your time to the fullest during the day, but that they join forces to create a peaceful nighttime routine that works seven days a week. They should enjoy some leisurely relaxation time together (perhaps them Oola Sleep Ease Gummies could help settle them down for a restful sleep). And in a rare recommendation it some screen time at night could be a good thing, maybe cozy up and throw on a show or movie.
Lucia Hawley and Henry Poole
Fashion personality Lucia Hawley, who is Nicole Kidman’s niece, has opened up about her and boyfriend Henry Poole’s bedtime routine. The young stars are the latest young couple who choose not to sleep in the same room because, as she told SheerLuxeshe is “really particular” about her sleep.
While we’d love to give Hawley some advice, it looks like she’s in a healthy place when it comes to relaxing for bed. She turns on a white noise machine, wears her ideal flannel, and blocks out sensory distractions with earplugs and an eye mask. Our eyes then turn to her partner; follow her lead and try her sleep routine—if you’re trying to avoid a sleep divorce before you’re even tied the knot.
Sleep divorce is valid, but it is not the only way
We know these kinds of tweaks may not be the answer for every couple. It really depends on why couples sleep separately. Sleep divorce just works best for some relationships. But are there simpler fixes people are overlooking?
You may not need a second bedroom – just a better nighttime routine.
