This Married Couple Chooses to Sleep in Bunk Beds, and TikTok Has Thoughts

When you think about bunk beds you probably think of summer camp or college dorm rooms, but what about the marital bed? This married couple has gone viral on TikTok for their choice to sleep in bunk beds, but it’s not quite as odd as you might think. 

Casey Tayler (@caseytayler.nyc) and her husband are just one of the millions of American couples choosing a sleep divorce (AKA sleeping in separate beds) in hopes of getting better sleep. 

Before you start picturing a kids room, Tayler stresses in a recent video that they have queen-sized bunk beds… the perfect solution for her tightly packed NYC studio apartment. 

Bunk Beds and “Milennial Marriage”

Tayler and her husband are proud of their decision and they don’t shy away from the nay-sayers. Tayler says she sticks behind their untraditional choice since it works the best for their marriage, apartment size, and sleep quality. 

“We will never go back — this is the life… This is peak marriage millennial style,” said Tayler in a recent video. 

Why Does the Couple Sleep on Bunk Beds? 

While sleeping in bunk beds with your husband might seem a bit odd at first, Tayler and her husband have legitimate reasons for the switch. 

“We are literally on different sleeping schedules,” said Tayler in a recent video. Her husband works 16-hour nightshifts at the hospital, so his sleeping schedule is very different from hers. 

She says the bunk beds allow them both to sleep well in their own space without disrupting the other (at least as much as you can in a studio apartment). “Sleeping is health and wealth,” says Tayler.

“We literally hate being hot. The last thing I wanna do is have another body weight on top of me while I’m sleeping,” admits Tayler. 

Tayler and her husband make up part of the 43 percent of milennial couples who are choosing sleep divorce. (1) Even though sleep divorce is more socially acceptable nowadays, Tayler’s approach is a new take on the trend. 

While the haters might give them some side-eye for sleeping in bunk beds as adults, it’s fair to admit that choosing a sleep divorce can be difficult for couples living in smaller living spaces so it’s no wonder that Tayler had to get creative. 

Not everyone has the privilege of having an empty bedroom to spare or the space to fit two beds in one room, so the bunk bed allows Tayler and her husband to reap the benefits of sleep divorce in a smaller space.

TikTok’s Reaction to Couple Sleeping in Bunk Beds

Tayler’s post talking about her and her husband’s bunk bed situation has gotten over 1.2 million views on TikTok, but as you can imagine, not everyone is so receptive to the untraditional arrangement. 

“Not sleeping next to my husband is like a nightmare. Having a roommate-like relationship sounds like a nightmare,” commented one user. 

However, many have shown their support for Tayler’s bunk bed decision, citing their own satisfaction with sleep divorce. 

“Me and my fiancé have the healthiest relationship I’ve ever seen and I truly believe it’s because we chose to sleep in separate beds,” said another user. 

I’ll admit I was quick to judge at first, but hey, whatever works best for you and your partner. Everyone needs a different environment in order to get their best sleep.

Bunk Beds and Sleep Divorce: An Expert Weighs In

While bunk beds might be a new approach to sleep divorce, it might be a smart solution for those couples who either lack the space for two separate bedrooms or who like the intimacy of sharing a room but prefer to have their own bed.

However, if your partner’s snoring is what makes you want to sleep apart, then bunk beds are probably not the best move for you since you’ll still hear the snoring in the same room.

“If the problem is more restless legs or thrashing, or simply needing one’s own space, rather than snoring or sleep apnea, then bunk beds in the same room can help maintain the intimacy while improving sleep quality,” sleep expert Jacob Teitelbaum MD tells Sleepopolis.

Why Are So Many People Considering Sleep Divorce? 

Nowadays sleep divorce is a popular trend for many married couples, making the arrangement more socially acceptable. In fact, one in three Americans have chosen to sleep separately from their partner in order to get better sleep, including celebs like Barbara Corcoran and Cameron Diaz. (1)

“Health pros consistently tell us that sleep is the best medicine and it’s becoming more and more common for couples to take that to heart. Just like it’s healthy and normal for couples to prioritize personal activities/interests/hobbies without their partner, sleeping separately should also be normalized when it’s in the name of health,” says Jordan Grenadier Murphy, couples counselor and founder of The Couples Coach.

Some people worry that a sleep divorce sounds the warning bells for the health of their relationship, but experts say that sleep divorce can actually strengthen your relationship.

“A sleep divorce, when consciously made as a decision together, can oftentimes bring couples closer together, improve their mood, and strengthen their connection as a couple as it lets go of any resentment related to poor sleep,” says Dr. Shelby Harris, Sleepopololis’s Director of Sleep Health. 

This is because getting good, quality sleep can drastically impact all aspects of your life, including the energy you have to bring to your relationships. So hey, if that means you choose to sleep in bunk beds, then all the more power to you. 

Emma Ernst

Emma Ernst is an editorial intern at Sleepopolis. A rising senior at the University of South Carolina, studying public relations and Spanish, Emma is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and loves to talk about anything Midwestern!