And I mean, sleep--as in snooze, drift off, get some shut-eye, rest, enter REM state, dream, be out like a light, and so on.
As Time Goes By: Early on, Lionel and Jean discuss which side of the bed each member of the couple should sleep on. In fact, the writers switch their "sides" between episodes. Jean ends up on the left side (facing away from the headboard) since it places her nearer the bedroom door, which makes sense in terms of the script: she is more likely to speak to people entering the room while Lionel grumpily tells them to go away.
Becker: After Becker and the friendly, optimistic Chris get together for the first time, they try to cuddle. But neither one of them is totally on-board, so they end up on opposite sides of the bed: see the mini-slideshow below.
Frasier: Turns out, Daphne is a thrasher. Her night time sleeping habits are so rambunctious, Niles can't stay on the bed! He solves the problem with a mattress on the floor.
The result with Cherry Blossoms is very sweet--but in truth, Becker is far more normal. Separate beds is not as uncommon as people imagine with couples. The Hollywood arrangement may have been brought about by the Hays Code but it reflects reality more than most television admits.
