If you thought couples sleeping in separate beds was an outdated trend or a habit of unhappy couples, you might be surprised by recent research.

Nearly one in four American couples sleep in separate bedrooms or beds, according to the National Sleep Foundation, a number that has doubled in recent decades. By 2015, the National Association of Home Builders says it expects 60 percent of custom homes to have dual master bedrooms, according to a joint report from The New York Times and "Today" show.

"People don't like to talk about sleeping in separate beds because there's a stigma that there must be something dysfunctional in the relationship," Allison Cohen, a marriage and family therapist, told the "Today" show. "But for those people who put a tremendous value on getting a good night's sleep, which I think most of us do but are afraid to say, it can be an incredibly creative solution that is really effective for the relationship."

Watch Natalie Morales discuss the issue. Story continues below.





The reasons for sleeping in separate beds are as numerous as the couples who have taken up the practice.

There are physical issues such as his restless leg syndrome or her snoring. For partners who work different shifts, sleeping in separate beds allows each person to get a full night's sleep. Other times, individual or family schedules -- early-morning yoga or baseball games or trading weekends so that only one adult has to wake up early with the kids -- can make separate beds a way to maximize the amount of high-quality sleep each person gets.

Many experts agree that sleeping in separate beds can be positive for some in relationships because improved sleep allows partners to be more productive at work, have more energy and avoid sleep-deprivation related diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. It also gives well-rested couples the energy they need to create a more positive relationship in and outside of the bedroom, Cohen said.

Others say that sleeping in separate beds gives each person time they need to escape from their stressful, over-scheduled and technology-filled days.

"We live in a world where families and couples eat together, pray together, work together -- sleeping together is really the last bastion in a relationship," Bruce Feiler, the author of "The Council of Dads" told the "Today" show. "We spend more time sleeping together than anything else, but the bed is incredibly chaotic."

But experts caution that those who seek separate bedrooms for nonphysical reasons might need to work on their problems outside of the bedroom.

"If it's a physical issue, fix it," R.G. Allen, a relationship therapist, told the "Today" Show. "If it's an emotional issue, work on it. And, if you're at that age where it doesn't really matter because you're retired and you're spending all of this time at home and you're not worried about connecting at night, then it doesn't matter -- don't worry about it. But, whatever it is, you've got to talk about it."

Here are some tips to make sleeping in the same bed more enjoyable:

1. Make it. As in, stop being lazy and make your bed. It's the opening note for a good night's sleep, according to The Times.

2. Choreograph it. Paul C. Rosenblatt, a psychiatry professor at the University of Minnesota, told The Times that most couples sleep best when they face away from each other, which is better to avoid flexing knees and bad breath. Map out a strategy that allows for each person to comfortably sleep facing away from each other.

More on getting a good night's sleep:
The Benefits of Sleep
Six Steps to Better Sleep
Celebrity Sleep Secrets