Do they really sleep on the couch?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (94081)
United States
May 16, 2009 3:25am CST
I was watching a television comedy show and the husband of course did something to make his wife angry. He called out to her that he would be sleeping on the couch that night. And I hear that on comedies all the time. Someone screws up (usually the male character) and they are told to sleep on the couch.
My question is, do people really do that? When your spouse/significant other and you fight, does one of you sleep on the couch? Has it ever even been suggested? I know when my parents argued, neither slept on the couch. They both still slept in the same bed. I was wondering if the 'ol couch scenario had any basis in real life...
19 people like this
62 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
16 May 09
Yes I think there is basis for that scenario however it does not have to be the couch it just means not sharing the same bed. If I got mad at my husband I just locked him out of our bedroom. He never slept on the couch as we always had a guest bedroom and he slept there until I "forgave" him.
3 people like this
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
16 May 09
My spouse sleeps in the other bedroom when he messes up, he goes there himself, no one sends him, I guess that is to show me, as if I care. He sleeps there any way, I got a new bed and he don't it, I believe there is a lot of men on the couch when they mess up. I guess it is a punishment. I know what you mean though, my parents woudl argue but they always went to bed in the same bed at bedtime.
3 people like this
@AmbiePam (94081)
• United States
17 May 09
Like I said, I'm not married. But truthfully I sleep on the couch way more than I do in my bed. For some reason the pain is more bearable when I sleep on the couch. I don't know why because my bed is comfortable. I can nap on it fine, but not often can I sleep on it all night.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
16 May 09
You betcha! My husband and I have had some good arguments that did not end well and he automatically headed for the couch each time! We have a different problem now; because he has gained some weight he has developed a bad snoring problem (and I mean bad!)I am a very light sleeper so, as you can imagine the situation has created a little friction between us. He now sleeps in the guest room most nights and will continue to do so until he reduces his weight and hopefully stops snoring so much. At least he is not on the couch anymore!
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (94081)
• United States
16 May 09
Now that he has gained some weight, he may have sleep apnea. My father and brother-in-law had it when they gained weight. The machine they use to sleep takes care of the horrible snoring. My mom also had it when she gained weight, but when she lost the weight, she no longer had sleep apnea, so she didn't need the machine any longer.
2 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
17 May 09
My husband sleeps on the couch now but it isn't because we argued before bed. He just sleeps better on it then in bed. But I have seen that on alot of shows were the man is always sleeping on the couch/guest room when he his in the dog house with his significant other. I don't see it alot in the families I know. When my parents fought they just went to bed angry. I guess that is the same way with me. But I would like to know why they are always using that scenario on shows/movies.
2 people like this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
17 May 09
Sure, why not. I have slept out on the couch a few times after a disagreement with the ex-. But mainly I was angry so I did not go to bed then fell asleep on the couch.
2 people like this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
16 May 09
Oh it does really happen that way. I have told my husband to sleep on the couch, when I am mad at him, and he does. Or if he is mad at me he would go sleep on the couch without being told to.
Mind you I am not with my husband anymore and maybe that has something to do with it, in the long run. Maybe I shouldn't have kicked him out of bed and made him sleep on the couch. Maybe we would still be together now if I hadn't. hehehe just kidding. That was just a minor part of our marital problems.
I have also gone and slept on the couch when I am mad so it wasn't just him who had to. Sometimes it was me.
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
17 May 09
i used to sleep now and then on the couch if i was mad, but im the woman. i would have been afraid to tell my ex that he had to. he wouldnt
anyway, my son has slept on his big lazy boy for spite from his gf, because he says its the only furniture thats his
i would have been afraid to tell my ex that he had to. he wouldnt anyway, my son has slept on his big lazy boy for spite from his gf, because he says its the only furniture thats his
@la_chique (1498)
•
17 May 09
it depends how much the other is annoyed. I know plenty of couples who do that and one sleeps on the sofa just to give each other breathing space. I dont know anyone that sleeps on the couch if they have kids though. I think that a couple would rather not let on to their children that they were having problems so may choose to sleep in the same bed even if they are mad at each other.
2 people like this
@jayrene (2708)
• Philippines
17 May 09
well yeah, i sometimes do it... when i really dont like to look at the person because i am sooo mad at him... but sometimes when, he is already asleep, i'd sneak back in the bedroom and sleep on our bed, because its more comfortable sleeping on the bed than on the sofa... lol
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
17 May 09
Personally many times I have wondered the same thing as well. Because I know even in the worst of times, and arguments my Mom always slept in the same room, and I have never heard of people actually sleeping on the couch unless it was about time to get a divorce.
But I know that my pastor preaches never go to Bed angry and work everything out first, so that means you would never have to have your spouse sleep on the couch unless it was because they have a Cold or something as well.
1 person likes this
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
17 May 09
With me and my ex husband a few times that happened. Which I hated then with my parents it happend a few times also once my younger sister almost got out of High School My parents fought worser and then not long after divorced.It was sad with my parents since they were married for over 30 years.
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
17 May 09
only in the first years of marriage lol
hubby and I got into huge fight a few times and I would tell him to sleep somewhere else
but I always cried when he did because I missed his snores lol
he is a very nice person always thinks positive about people
I am afraid that he will be hurt, he thinks nothing can hurt him and I'm being paranoid lol after a while we realize that we are arguing over nothing
so since then I never tell him to sleep somewhere else anymore
I will miss his snores anyway :)
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
16 May 09
My husband and I did not fight but did have a few heated arguements on occasions. Several times I told him to get out of our bedroom and sleep on the couch. But he never did. He would go into the boys toom and sleep with the boys! think that it only happened twice in 31 years so that is not too bad is it?
1 person likes this
@astrosoccergirl (71)
• United States
17 May 09
It has to be a very, very major fight for one of us to sleep on the couch unless it's just from falling asleep watching TV...and usually then the other one will wake the one who fell asleep up and get them up to bed. Usually, curling up in bed is one of the best ways for us to sort of calm down if we've had a fight.
1 person likes this
