The Hidden Housing Costs of Your ‘Sleep Divorce’

Even if you’re in a happy, committed relationship, loud snoring, different schedules, tossing, turning, or disagreements over sleeping preferences may disrupt your sleep.

As a result, you may opt for a “sleep divorce.”

Believe it or not, this trend—which entails each partner sleeping in their own bedroom—is fairly common. In fact, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has found that 31% of U.S. adults have pursued a sleep divorce. 

Fortunately, a sleep divorce doesn’t have to double your home’s energy bills. 

There are ways to keep your utility costs under control while still maintaining a comfortable sleeping environment for the two of you.

How sleeping in separate bedrooms impacts home utility costs

Sleeping in separate bedrooms doesn’t automatically translate to higher monthly utility bills. They’ll only increase if you adjust your thermostat to keep both bedrooms at different temperatures. 

“As long as you don’t touch your thermostat setting, you won’t have to worry about a spike in your utility costs,” says Bob Cardwell, owner of Cardwell HVAC in Cherry Hill, NJ.

According to Cardwell, sleeping in separate bedrooms during the winter doesn’t have to affect your utility bills much.

“Many people set their heat to a lower temperature at night anyway. You can also just layer up and feel comfortable without touching the thermostat,” Cardwell explained. 

In the summer, however, this sleep arrangement can raise cooling costs because sleeping without an AC is difficult in hot weather.

Tips to prevent energy expenses from doubling

If you decide that a sleep divorce makes sense from your relationship, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to keep both bedrooms comfortable. Here’s how you can keep your energy costs in check:

Take advantage of fans and space heaters

If you have a central HVAC system, set the thermostat to normal temperatures, which is usually between 76 to 78 degrees in summer and 68 to 70 degrees in winter, and just add a ceiling fan or a space heater.

“A fan usually adds very little to the monthly bill and a space heater can add around $5 to $6 a month if you use it 30 minutes before bed each night before going to bed to warm up the room and then turn it off,” Cardwell explains.

Maintain bedroom temperature 

Sometimes you don’t even need to add sources of heat or cooling to your bedrooms. Taking simple measures that preserve the temperature already inside can do the trick. 

“You can keep the heat from escaping by sealing window gaps, door gaps, and other drafts, and even keeping the bedroom door closed to retain warmth,” says Keith Wortsmith, president of DASH Heating & Cooling in Little Rock, AR.

In summer, using blackout curtains may be enough to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. 

"That' s because solar heat that passes through the window pane is one of the main sources of indoor heat gain,” Wortsmith adds.

Consider a multizone thermostat

If you think you'll be sleeping in separate rooms long-term, you should look into a multizone thermostat. 

“It lets you control the bedrooms separately instead of heating or cooling the whole house just because one person likes their room a few degrees cooler,” explains Ross Palfrey, owner at Harry's Home Comfort in Ottawa, ON.

While a multizone thermostat may run you between $100 to $600 (compared to $80 to $150 for a standard thermostat), the energy savings may make it worthwhile, especially if your sleep divorce will likely continue for the foreseeable future.