Sleep... It's so important to living a healthy life, yet we never question the relationship status quo of sleeping in the same bed. Well, we're here to try and normalise sleeping alone for those like me who like their own space at night. Dr Alix Mellor is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Sleep Program at Turner Institute for Brain & Mental Health at Monash University. In this episode, she answers the following questions:Let's start at the beginning: what makes a "good" night sleep? What are the necessary ingredients to achieving this?Can you tell me a bit about the sleep study you conducted where one person in the couple had insomnia?I personally don't sleep well with anyone else in the room (let alone the same bed) - is this common? I think there's a misconception that sleeping in separate beds is "the beginning of the end" of a relationship - what are the reasons couples might choose to sleep apart? I can imagine this might be a good thing if they're bad sleepers / snorers/ insomniacs?How might someone broach the subject with a partner, whether it's long-term or casual? This really is a "it's not you, it's me" situation! In an article I read in the Guardian, you said that we need to normalise sleeping in separate beds - why do you think it's important to normalise it? Guest: Dr Alix MellorWebsite: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/alix-mellor