Sleeping together or apart?

Watching The Crown, the scene where Elizabeth and Philip went to bed...

Manong commented, "Dili sila tapad? (They don't sleep together?)"

I have often wondered about this arrangement. In the Filipino culture, sleeping apart symbolizes that your marriage is going through a rough time, or worse, is falling apart. Sleeping on the same bed means that you're together.

I wonder which countries, or culture, for that matter, practice sleeping apart? What could be their purpose in having this kind of arrangement?

For Filipinos, aside from that symbolism, I think it's also for practical reasons. Most families cannot afford a big space, so they cramp up as much as possible. Filipino families often have extended families together living in one roof. Some, if not most, couldn't even afford their kids to have their own room.

But there can be a benefit as to sleeping apart; that is, if your quarters can accommodate it. If you share a bed with someone, how often is it that you get to sleep straight and without interruption? Admittedly, you get to do your own stuff, at your own time, and at your own pleasure.

For instance, Manong and I have different sleeping schedules. I often sleep early, like maybe 8 or 9PM, then I wake up around 2AM, then sleep again at 4 or 5AM. Whereas for him, he sleeps really late, like 1 or 2AM.

There were times, though, that I want to sleep without interruption, especially when I just had less than 4 hours of sleep the night before. For some reason, and more often than not, when Manong comes to bed, I become aware or at least be half-awake then. The problem then, is that once my senses are awakened, I have trouble sleeping again.

He couldn't sleep well either, when I'm awake in the middle of the night, since I normally turn on the lamp, even when I'm working on my laptop. My eyes couldn't handle unbalanced light.

On the other hand, there were times when Manong, sleeps later than usual. Or, sometimes doesn't sleep at all and stays in the other room to work. This wakes me up, as well. There's a feeling of coldness and emptiness on the bed that bothers me. So I kept on asking him to sleep, so I can sleep, too. I guess I have gotten used so much with him beside me. After all, we have been sleeping on the same bed for a little over 10 years now.

So, what's the benefit of sleeping apart? And who practices it?

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