5 Things To Try If Sharing A Bed With Your Partner Is Ruining Your Sleep
Relationships can hurt your chances of a good night's sleep.
Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash Are you having trouble sleeping? The National Sleep Foundation released guidelines showing how much sleep you really need — and it's all based on age. If you are an adult between the ages of 24 and 64, you need seven to nine hours. If you are over 65, seven to eight hours will suffice.
If you're not getting your recommended sleep on a nightly basis, an Australian study recommends three remedies: hot yoga, hot physical intimacy and a hot shower (the yoga doesn't have to be hot, but it sounds better that way, doesn't it?).
Yoga is by far the most successful sleep inducer, as it can increase your slumber time by up to 64 minutes.
Physical intimacy and hot showers both only increase sleep time by six minutes, so if you're a real insomniac, it helps to roll out that yoga mat daily — I can attest to this myself, being a very heavy and sound sleeper who heads to the yoga studio three times a week.
But sometimes, even if you're doing everything right, your beloved partner can mess up your sleep schedule.
The five common sleep problems when you share a bed with your partner and what to try to get a good night's rest:
Problem #1: Snoring
According to a study for National Stop Snoring Week, 41% of snorers experience nightly problems with their partners, such as tussling and getting rolled over because of the noise they're making. On top of that, 27% of them often feel grumpy in the morning while 21% are frequently exhausted.
What to do:
"I have consistently dated snorers, often very heavy ones, and have never known exactly what to do about it." explains Sam Escobar, site director of Allure. "I just had to ensure I either fell asleep first or put a bit of music on to drown out the sounds."
If the snoring persists, you might want to get checked (or have him checked for) sleep apnea, a potentially serious, but treatable sleep disorder that can cause snoring and heavy breathing.
Problem #2: Cuddling makes you feel frisky
"I have a hard time cuddling without getting aroused and then all fidgety," says 33-year-old New Yorker Kelly of sleeping with her boyfriend of eight months.
What to do:
"It's sometimes better to fall asleep side-by-side instead of cuddling if I want to sleep, or I'll keep both of us up with incessant groping. Or, he distracts me."
Problem #3: You're both light sleepers
"And he's a light sleeper," Kelly continues. "I swear he sleeps with one eye open. If I get up to pee, I always wake him up. But I kind of like it because it gives me an opportunity for more 'cuddle-groping'. But then I feel bad if he has to work in the morning."
What to do:
These two might want to try doing yoga before bed together to fall into a deeper slumber.
Problem #4: You have different sleep schedules
"I'm a total lark and my husband, is, well, not, so I wake up early to make breakfast and greet the day," says Mona Lisa Macalino Ondevilla, a health, wellness and nutrition journalist. "It works out well!"
What to do:
She also suggests the following: "If your guy comes home when you're already sleeping (or vice versa), have him change in another room so he won't wake you. Nothing sucks more than trying to fall asleep for the second time in one night!"
Problem #5: One of you steals the covers
Your partner — presumably in his sleep — wraps the entire blanket around himself, so that you wake up cold (and angry). You try to wrestle at least a tiny bit of the blanket away, but of course he's asleep and you don't want to wake him. Sound familiar?
What to do:
"Have your own blankets, especially if one of you tends to roll around. It's no fun waking up in the middle of the night cold and blanket-less," suggests Ondevilla. You can have one big blanket for cuddle time and two smaller ones, to keep both of you happy.
Monica Green is a New York-based writer who covers wellness, relationships, health and lifestyle. She has been featured in Good Housekeeping, The Knot, and Bustle.