Why Matthew McConaughey Says King-Size Beds Are Ruining Your Marriage

Matthew McConaughey recently shared the secret to his long marriage with wife Camila Alves — and his controversial bedroom confession is not what I expected. In his new book, Poems and Prayers, McConaughey attributed his 13-year-long marriage with Alves to sleeping together “shoulder to shoulder” in a queen-size bed — even revealing that he threw out his old king-size bed to “get ahead” in their marriage. And here’s my take: I would kill for a king-size bed!

In a recent interview published on Fox News Digital, McConaughey defended his “team queen bed” stance after his anti-king-size-bed poem raised some eyebrows. As a refresher, in an excerpt shared by the publication the rom-com icon wrote the following: “The best thing you can / do for your / marriage, / One way to surely / get ahead, / is get rid of that / king-­size mattress, / and sleep in a / queen-­size bed.” 

During his interview, McConaughey argued that physical closeness is a way of instigating emotional intimacy. He explains that he threw out his old king-size mattress after noticing the couple’s physical distance made him feel less connected to his wife.

“I wake up one morning, I’m looking over there, and Camila’s like a football field away, man. Then you go to bed at night, like, you want to snuggle up and … well, we’ve got to cover you up. Come about 12 feet, and I’ll come 12 feet,” he shared. The Lost Bus actor said he realized “this damn king-size bed is not good for the marriage, man. Get rid of that son of a b*tch.”

“So we got a queen-size, where we’re shoulder to shoulder,” McConaughey explained about the couple’s new sleeping arrangements. “I’m telling you, it’s good for your marriage.”

After recently moving in with my boyfriend, we still use a queen-size bed from my previous apartment — and I can confirm that while this cozy arrangement is great when I want to cuddle, it’s also not the best for a good night’s sleep.

I’m not just saying that because it’s a preference. Studies show that while men tend to sleep better when they’re next to a female partner, the same can’t be said for the women in the relationship. Women are more likely to have their sleep disrupted by a male partner, as men tend to generate more body heat, are more likely to snore, and are more likely to move around in their sleep. So maybe McConaughey is having a great time, and Alves is pushing him over to his side because he’s snoring so loudly! Or they’re both having a great time, and this is all just me.

In addition, women tend to be more sensitive to light and movement at night. It’s much harder to ignore my boyfriend scrolling on his phone just a few inches away when we’re in a queen-size bed versus on a couch (or, I imagine, in a fantasy world, in a California king). There’s even research that suggests that women feel more rested when they sleep next to dogs than to male partners. After all, waking up every time my boyfriend tosses and turns or overheats isn’t exactly a bonus for our relationship (or my mood the next day).

Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m team “sleep divorce.” I still want to sleep in the same bed with my partner — sharing a bed definitely supports increased intimacy and connection for couples. But I would take a king-size bed any day. I would throw out my queen-size bed in a heartbeat if my apartment was big enough for it. Sorry, McConaughey. After all, why sacrifice sleep quality when you can retreat to your own side of your blissfully “football field”-sized bed once you’re done getting in your end-of-evening quality time?