to promote harmonious marriages
More and more couples in the
A survey by the National
Association of Home Builders has predicted that by 2015, 60% of custom-built
homes will have two master bedroom suites.
The quest for better rest is
behind the trend as experts say the lack of decent sleep can cause marital
tension.
The option of having separate
rooms has often improved marriages, they say.
Gopal Ahluwalia, of the National
Association of Home Builders, said the trend was a "market-driven demand that's
going to continue".
'Flex suite'
Separate bedrooms have often
been taken as a sign of a failing relationship, but for many people they appear
to be becoming a practical necessity.
Snoring, night-time visits to
the bathroom, child-care requirements and shift-working can deprive couples of
the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
The situation has reportedly
become more acute as gender roles have changed — with both men and women
juggling work and childcare duties.
Families expert, Stephanie
Coontz, told the New York Times there
were many couples "confident enough that they have a nice marriage, but they
don't particularly like sleeping in the same room".
"I don't think it says
anything about their sex lives," she said.
Nevertheless, some builders
call the extra room a "flex suite" to avoid any
embarrassment.
The trend is not restricted
to the upper end of the market, the newspaper says.
Lana Pepper of
"My husband is still alive. I
would have killed him," she said.
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