Rocking and rumbling: How to handle sleep disturbances in relationships
Partner's Disruptions Affecting Your Restful Slumber
Sleeping next to a partner who forces you to witness their nightly sawing, rumbling, and restlessness, doesn't just happen to you, it's a common scenario, especially if you're female.
Many couples face sleep problems, and it often seems like an unsolvable dilemma. Women, despite suffering from the issue, tend to prefer sharing the bed. According to sleep specialist Kneginja Richter, this is because of the cuddle hormone oxytocin that helps promote better sleep with familiar body contact.
However, all's not lost because, despite the intricate connection between sleep and relationships, there are several solutions to help cope with these problems. Here are some approaches and insights on how separate beds can be a game-changer.
Sleeping Solutions for Snoring-Related Sleep Disruptions
Sleeping.org suggests several tried-and-tested methods:
- Encourage your partner to sleep on their side with a body or specially designed pillow to maintain this position for the entire night.
- Adopting lifestyle changes like minimizing alcohol consumption before bedtime and maintaining a healthy weight can also help reduce snoring.
For a quicker solution, anti-snoring devices such as mandibular advancement mouth guards can help keep airways open and lessen noises during sleep. Earplugs and white noise machines or apps are also effective for the non-snoring partner, immediately improving their sleep quality without requiring changes from the actual snorer. Adjustable beds that elevate the head can also alleviate snoring by facilitating proper neck and spine alignment.
Restlessness-Related Sleep Disruptions and Separate Beds
Restlessness can also disturb sleep, but you can combat it by adopting separate blankets or individualized bedding to avoid blanket theft and lessen disturbances caused by differing preferences and movements. The Scandinavian sleep method, which involves separate blankets or even separate beds, can significantly reduce conflicts and enhance sleep quality for both partners.
The Benefits of Separate Beds
Though it may seem unconventional, separate beds can have numerous advantages. By preventing disturbances from snoring, restlessness, and differing sleep needs, both partners can enjoy better rest. Separate beds can create a more conducive sleeping environment for each individual and alleviate conflicts over shared blankets or temperature preferences. As a result, couples who adopt this practice tend to experience better mood, lower stress, and higher overall relationship satisfaction since they wake up refreshed and less irritable.
source: sleep.org, ntv.de, Ricarda Dieckmann, dpa
- Sleep
- Sleep disorders
- Relationship
- Separate beds
- A sleep specialist suggests that sleep problems in relationships can be managed by encouraging a partner to sleep on their side, minimizing alcohol before bedtime, maintaining a healthy weight, and using anti-snoring devices or earplugs.
- Adopting separate blankets or individualized bedding can help combat restlessness and lessen disturbances caused by differing sleep preferences and movements, improving sleep quality for both partners.
- Separate beds can create a more conducive sleeping environment for each individual, reducing conflicts over shared blankets or temperature preferences, which leads to better mood, lower stress, and higher overall relationship satisfaction.
- The connection between sleep and mental health is significant, as better sleep quality can lead to improved mood and reduced stress, positively impacting family dynamics and relationships.
