My husband Owen and I were thrilled to welcome our baby, Liam. Our families were supportive, and the pregnancy went well. However, childbirth was painful, and Owen made remarks about my yelling, which hurt deeply.
One evening, while Liam slept, I brought up Owen’s comments during labor. He admitted to saying I was embarrassing him, but his response was defensive. His attitude shocked me, revealing a side of him I didn’t like. I locked myself in the bedroom with Liam, reflecting on his character.
A week later, we had dinner at my parents’ house. I encouraged my sisters to share their childbirth experiences, highlighting their supportive spouses. Owen listened quietly, realizing his mistakes. When it was my turn, I focused on Owen’s positive actions during my pregnancy. This led to a heartfelt apology from him, and he promised to be a better partner.
Driving home, I felt at peace. By choosing compassion over confrontation, I gave us a chance to move forward. Have you ever faced a similar situation? Would you have forgiven your husband or confronted him publicly? Let us know on Facebook!
Here’s another story you might enjoy: a 16-year-old boy brings a newborn home, saying, “Sorry Mom, I couldn’t leave him.”
Why Do Married Couples in Japan Sleep Separately
Smaller houses and apartments don’t stop many Japanese couples from sleeping in different beds or even rooms. This is not some kind of an intimate issue or problem with the relationship, but something that they believe is good for them.
We at Bright Side found out why married couples in Japan choose to sleep separately, and we really like their reasons.
They have different sleep schedules.
The first thing that makes Japanese couples decide to go to bed separately is different work schedules. Waking up your significant other just because you got home late from work or have to leave early won’t result in good quality rest for them. This is why spending the night in a different room makes sense. This will give them both an undisturbed and healthier sleep.
Babies sleep with their mothers.
Japanese mothers sleep with their children and this is considered very important, so the father needs to decide if he wants to share the same bed or go to a different room. Even science has proven that co-sleeping can help parents and children get a more restful sleep. It helps the child to maintain a stable temperature and heart rate (which is really critical in infancy) and at the same time, it decreases the chance of sudden infant death syndrome. Also, this contributes to the child having better self-esteem, becoming independent faster, and doing great in school.
For them, sleeping separately means peace.
While many couples who start to sleep alone think that divorce is at their door, the Japanese see it differently. They value their sleep a lot and they don’t want to be disturbed while sleeping. This means that they don’t need and don’t like to put up with snoring, restless sleep, kicking, etc. Even though some don’t have the opportunity to sleep in different rooms, they still wish they could get their beauty sleep.
Couples have a history of sleeping separately.
© Shutterstock.com, © Shutterstock.com
Futons are filled with cotton, which provides support and comfort. In the past, only single sized ones were used as beds. So, even if you wanted to cuddle up with your loved one, you would have ended up between the sheets, on the cold floor, and you wouldn’t feel comfortable. Today there are families that still use this type of bedding, especially because it doesn’t take up a lot of space and it is easy to store.
Do you sleep separately from your partner? Do you think this type of practice might be even better for your relationship?
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