Researchers in Britain found men there spend upwards of seven hours a year in the bathroom -- just hiding out from the wife and kids.
Nearly one-in-four British men described their bathroom as a 'safe place.' Another 14 percent admitted they store magazines, books, even food, according to bathroom experts PebbleGrey.
“It could be, but that's an odd place for alone time though,” said one Houstonian who admits having a 'man cave' to escape his family.
“I go out to the garage to build deer blinds and duck blinds,” said another. “Then I go hunting on the weekends so I can get away from the wife and kids.”
However, even some women agree the bathroom can be a sanctuary.
“It's the only place where you can read something or maybe even respond to a text. If you have kids, you would understand.”
Dr.Debbie Grammas, a Houston marriage counselor, says it's healthy to be alone.
“We all need alone time. Some people need more than others,” she says. “Some people, if their partner wants alone time, might misinterpret it as they don't want to be around them, which is not true at all.”
Grammas encourages couples to just be honest about alone time.
“I think a more effective thing for men to do, instead of hiding, would be to say 'I know there's stuff to do around the house, I know you do a lot, but give me to 30 minutes just to chill and I'll come back out and do whatever you need me to do.'”