David Shariatmadari in The Guardian:
Professor Russell Foster CBE, head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, has some relationship advice. One of the things he’s asked most often at public talks is what to do if your partner snores. First, check with your doctor if a serious condition like sleep apnoea might be to blame. Second, get some ear plugs. Third: “If you have an alternative sleeping space, then use it. It’s not a reflection of the quality of your relationship. I would say that in many cases, it’s the beginning of a better one. You’ll be more rested, you’ll be less irritated with your partner, you’ll probably have a better sense of humour, you’ll have more empathy. You’ll have more fun.”
Is he speaking from personal experience? “Perhaps … ” Who’s the snorer in his marriage? “We’ll gloss over that,” he says with a chuckle. And what about so-called chronotypes – whether you’re a lark or an owl. Can a mixed marriage work? Oh yes, he says, again drawing from personal experience (he’s an “evening type”, while his wife, Lizzie, likes to get up early). The data actually suggests that these kinds of partnerships tend to last longer. “Now my cynical colleagues say that’s because you don’t see much of each other. I prefer the explanation that if you can accommodate your partner’s sleep habits, then actually, it shows you have a reasonably flexible disposition. And then all the other crap that is thrown at you in a relationship can be [dealt with] appropriately.”
More here.