One third of all couples have this problem in bed

The National Sleep Foundation released its recommendations this week for how much sleep people need. Six sleep experts and 12 medical experts researched sleeping habits and created the following recommendations, according to The Huffington Post.

Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14-15 hours

Infants (4 to 11 months): 12-15 hours

Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours

School-age children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours

Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours

Young adults (18 to 25 years): 7 to 9 hours

Adults (26 to 64): 7 to 9 hours

Older adults (65 and older) 7 to 8 hours

Now that you know how much sleep you need, you and your partner can get the correct amount of ZZZs, right? Well, it turns out you and your significant other may be doing things wrong when it comes to sleeping in bed.

Scientists from Ryerson University in Toronto observed brain waves of couples sleeping together and found that couples who sleep in the same bed don’t fall into a deeper stage of sleep. Couples who sleep together often wake each other up with various noises, sounds and movements, which disturbs a cycle of sleep, according to The Huffington Post.

That disturbance can rock your relationship. As a result, 30 to 40 percent of couples sleep apart, the Ryerson study said. This comes after a 2005 study from the National Sleep Foundation found that one in four American couples sleep in separate beds.

According to The Wall Street Journal’s Elizabeth Bernstein, men and women view relationships differently depending on their sleeping habits. A 2010 study cited in the WSJ article found men feel better about a relationship after a good night’s sleep, while women have a better night’s rest when they’re happier with their relationship.

But other research suggests that couples who sleep together are, in fact, better off. I wrote a story last month about how 94 percent of couples who touched each other during sleep were happier with their relationship. Studies also found 86 percent of couples who slept less than an inch apart reported being more satisfied.

So, should you sleep alone or with your partner? The answer remains unclear. But Erica Scoville, who never sleeps with her husband, wrote for The Today Show that it’s most important for couples to get sleep — no matter if they’re together or apart.“It’s not going to be a solution for every single couple who are trying to sleep better,” Scoville wrote. “I just think it’s important for people to remember that sleeping together doesn’t always save a marriage any more than sleeping apart ruins a marriage. It’s sleep, and sleep is really important to everyone.”