Clear Space Living Blog
How the size of your bed can affect you
- Karen Kingston
International bed sizes
Bed sizes and the names used for them vary considerably around the world, so direct comparisons can be confusing. But the UK and US provide some interesting examples.
In the UK, a standard double bed is 135 cm (4 feet 6 inches) wide, giving each partner just 67.5 cm (about 27 inches) of personal space. A standard single is 90 cm (3 feet) wide, so sharing a double gives each person 25% less sleeping space than they would have in a single bed.
It’s much the same in the US. A standard double bed, usually called a full, is 54 inches (137 cm) wide, again giving each partner just 27 inches. A standard twin is 38 inches (97 cm) wide, so sharing a full gives each person about 29% less space than sleeping alone in a twin. Perhaps not surprisingly, full beds are more commonly used by single sleepers, while couples tend to choose larger sizes.
The next size up in the US is a queen, which is 60 inches (152 cm) wide — almost exactly the same width as a UK king at 150 cm. Even then, each partner has only about 30 inches (76 cm) of space.
The maths finally works with a US king, which is 76 inches (193 cm) wide. Each partner gets 38 inches — exactly the width of a standard US twin bed. A UK super king, at 180 cm (6 feet) wide, similarly gives each partner 90 cm — exactly the width of a standard UK single.
And if you really want to go for it, some manufacturers offer enormous beds with names such as emperor and Caesar, as well as bespoke beds made to virtually any size.
How the size of your bed affects you
There’s no feng shui rule that says the bigger the bed, the better. Sometimes it works brilliantly well for both partners. I’ve also seen marital situations where a bed that is too big has resulted in a loss of intimacy in the relationship.
But a bed that is too small can definitely have negative consequences. Most people spend a third of their life horizontal, and spending so much time feeling physically restricted and energetically compressed can result in feeling similarly constrained in other aspects of life. It can also affect the quality of your sleep in ways you may not realize.
So what do I recommend? Well, it’s a matter of personal preference. Some people really do need more space than others.
If you or your partner find you love the nights when the other person’s away because you get to sleep spread-eagle in the middle of the bed, then it would be wise to invest in the biggest one you can afford that your bedroom can comfortably accommodate.
If you both love the closeness and intimacy that a smaller bed can bring, that’s perfectly fine too. The important thing is to make a conscious choice about this instead of putting up with sleeping cramped for many years, as so many people do.
Copyright © Clear Space Living Ltd 2020, updated 2026
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12 comments on “How the size of your bed can affect you”
I’m alone in my 160 cm bed since a break-up two years ago. And I love to be able to roll around, sleep diagonally or just snuggle up in a corner. To have a choice.
As much as I look forward to meeting a partner I dread the sharing of my bed…
Love and Light!
Suppose your partner loves being as close as can be, but you like a bit more space? Such is the case with me and my husband. He loves snuggle his head on my shoulder, to drape a leg over mine– and I have to shrug and kick him off! I think he needs physical connection to be comfortable while he sleeps, but I like to stretch. And to think, we used to share a twin (single) bed back in the good old days…
Hmmm… this is more about levels of intimacy than personal space. If you used to enjoy closeness with your partner and no longer do, what’s changed to cause that? This is not a question I expect you to reply to publicly here – just something you may want to do some deep searching about with your partner.
Thanks for the insight, Karen. I will keep it in mind for sure– though I can’t remember a time when I didn’t mind him sprawled over me while we sleep. But, I’ve been reading your book, and I realized I had a spider-like plant right smack in the middle of our the relationships section of our home– I totally remedied that this past weekend after Space-Clearing! So thank you!
Hi Karen!
I am looking for a new bed at the moment. A lot of them have the divans in two halves. This doesn’t seem like a good idea. What are your thoughts?
I really enjoyed your talk at the Mind, Body & Spirit Show back in May!
Thanks
Liz
Hi Liz
Here’s a link to a blog I wrote about this type of bed a while ago:
The problem with split beds
Many thanks – I know what to look for now.
(I don’t like the idea of beds with an ‘east-west’ (side-to-side) split divan either.)
A standard german double bed is 180 – 200cm.
Brilliant piece Karen – thank you.
I must admit both my partner and I have UK superking beds in our homes. It was a leap financially (and the bedding is so expensive!) and initially I wondered if we would miss the extra bedroom space it takes up but it was the best thing we’ve ever done!
Big hugs,
Craig x
Both my partner and I agree that havaing our own bed = a good night s sleep. We can still be intimate but having our own bed means we can have a good night’s sleep.
What’s called a double bed in Sweden is actually two single beds joined by one headboard, so it’s normally 180 cm but with a “seam” in the middle. There are “real” double beds of 160 cm, but they are not very common (people regard them with suspicion as they are so narrow). My partner and I don’t live together, but we spend about half our nights together, so we have each bought one of those 160 cm beds and found that this works very well. When we book a hotel room we always ask for a real double bed and try to be very, very clear about not wanting two joined singles, but it’s very difficult to get Swedish people to appreciate the difference between double and twin. The positive thing about the marital double which is really a twin, though, is that if needed it’s easy to separate it into two singles.
I’ve visited Sweden a few times myself but haven’t yet come across this problem there. However, I know it’s common in Germany, as this article explains: The problem with split beds