Long-lived millionaire chooses ‘sleeping divorce’ to protect his health

Technology millionaire Bryan Johnson, founder of the Blueprint longevity project, has just released a video explaining that he has never slept in the same bed with his girlfriend Kate Tolo for nearly 4 years. This businessman affirmed that “separating sleeping spaces aims to protect the quality of deep sleep, thereby slowing down the speed of physical aging.”

In the latest announcement on social networks, Johnson confirmed that he and his girlfriend live in two separate houses, only using a shared bed when needed. The American businessman said sleeping with others causes many disruptions in the nighttime rest cycle. He led a 2020 study of 55 couples, showing that each person woke up an average of 6 times per night due to the other person’s movements. For Johnson, one night of lack of sleep is enough to speed up the aging process of cells and internal organs.

According to a 2023 survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), up to 35% of Americans choose to sleep in a separate room with their spouse (sleep divorce) on an occasional or regular basis. This trend is becoming so popular that sleep specialists, psychotherapists, and even hotels are starting to offer services that cater to individual rest needs without compromising romance. Even Harvard University has provided guidance for couples who want to switch to separate sleeping patterns, recording many cases of marked improvement in sleep quality and reduced marital stress.

Meanwhile, medical data still records two conflicting results about co-sleeping habits. A study of 12 couples found that sleeping next to your partner increased the duration of the rapid eye movement (REM) phase by 10%, which is the dreaming phase that helps the brain restore memory and emotions, and also helped the two bodies synchronize their circadian rhythms. Data also show that men often sleep more deeply when they have a partner, while women wake up more easily when lying next to a man.

A 2022 survey of 1,000 couples showed that the group sleeping in the same bed had less insomnia, reduced fatigue and maintained a more comfortable spirit than the group sleeping separately.

Faced with the above data, Johnson commented that sleep quality depends on each individual’s physical condition and biological habits. Many people feel healthier and more connected when lying next to their partner, while many others have to separate beds to save both their sleep and their relationship.

Bryan Johnson is a technology entrepreneur investing millions of dollars in biological intervention methods (biohacking) to reverse the aging process. He once caused a stir when he applied a strict diet, red light and plasma transfusion from his biological son before publicly announcing his relationship with Kate Tolo.