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Being in a relationship is great but sometimes sleeping next to someone can cause problems. Admit it, sometimes you hate it. But don’t despair. Coping with a partner who has a very different sleep pattern or preference to you doesn’t need to be a relationship deal-breaker. What would you do to get a better night’s sleep with your partner?
Check out our “Relationships: Rest and Relaxation Tips” list and see how simple it can be to restore some quality sleep time in your lives.
Let’s get started.
Rest and Relaxation Tips…
The Big Rs
Routines and Rituals
Basically, this comes down to the rather clinical sounding Sleep Hygiene…simply put, the rituals you follow around sleep time. Pulling all-nighters, or sleeping in on the weekends so you can “catch up” for lost sleep are both examples of poor sleep hygiene. Follow a regular sleep schedule, avoid caffeine late at night, wake up AND get up at the same time every day…these are good sleep hygiene practices.
Improvements in sleep hygiene offer an “easy win” in the search for better sleep, and should be the first thing you go after when sleep troubles show up.
A good prescription for sleep hygiene requires the following from your bedroom:
- Temperature – neither too hot nor too cold (more on this later!)
- Darkness – the darker, the better (block out curtains are great and inexpensive)
- Quiet – sometimes the quieter, the better; personally I prefer some soothing background sound…check out some apps to find one that suits you
- A comfortable bed so you can lie down and feel full-body relaxation
Reschedule when and how you spend time together.
Quality time together doesn’t just have to be in bed. Talk about it and block off a time that is entirely devoted to each other. A snuggle on the couch, cooking dinner together, watching a movie, Netflix and actually chilling…all easy and rewarding.
Rediscover the fun of daytime dates.
It might feel weird at first but there’s more to intimacy than candlelight and wine. Give a little, get a little (or possibly a lot) — and then at night enjoy all the zzz’s you need. Just because you have wildly different bedtime habits you don’t have to let them mess with your sex life.
Reserved for Rest and Relaxation
Just like the topic says your bedroom should be a sanctuary from the technology that invades every corner of our lives. Stop checking your phones and laptops and turn off all devices one hour before bed. All that “blue light” emitted from screens tricks your body clock in to thinking it’s still daytime. Keep the television in another room. It might require self-discipline but there is no doubting the benefits in the long run.
Rethink your bedding
Last, but not least, rethinking your bedding is an easy win for any couple who are battling any level of sleep deprivation. For a complete shake-up, try swapping out your King or Queen blanket for a split-duvet bedding system. Yep, you heard us right — two duvets on one bed. This simple swap with a split-duvet set will transform the way you and your partner sleep at night. You'll goodbye to,
- Bickering over your preferred sleeping temperatures
- The nightly tug-of-war with the blanket
- Waking up cold and coverless in the middle of the night
- Interrupted sleep next because of your partner's frequent trips to the bathroom at night
And say hello to,
- Your own duvet — one that is all yours, #myownduvet
- Cocooning in the blanket without worrying about stealing it from your partner
- Sleeping at the temperature that you want
- Improved deep sleep, so you wake up refreshed every morning
Trust me, (no, I’m not a doctor just one half of a couple who became a two-duvet, one-bed convert.) Once you’ve given it a go you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it forever. Sleep deprivation is torture but a better night of sleep might be closer than you'd ever imagined.
