According to new research from Premier Inn, the average couple bickers in the bedroom 167 times a year due to night time niggles.

Couples are most likely to get into a bedtime tiff over hogging the duvet, followed closely by that old chestnut – snoring.

More than half of those questioned said men were the worst culprits for snoring – although a fifth of Brits admitted to waking up once a week from their own heavy breathing.

In the survey of 2,000 adults in a relationship, 20% said they were losing two hours of sleep every night as a result of a snoring partner.

One in 10 Brits said that snoring was disturbing their sleep so much that they would even consider leaving their partner because of it.

Other bedtime gripes include allowing children to sleep in the same bed, venturing onto the wrong side, being touched by freezing cold feet, and leaving the lights on to read.

The research was carried out during National Stop Snoring Week.

Claire Haigh, spokeswoman for Premier Inn, said: “Our research shows that most of the arguments couples have in the bedroom are down to habits that are easy to resolve as a relationship develops.

"People suffer from snoring to varying degrees and the research shows how something like snoring can impact on our day to day lives especially if one person in the relationship is missing out on much needed sleep."