Why do some couples sleep together so soundly, while others get on each other's nerves?
By Mona Lisa Macalino — Written on Jun 05, 2012
If sharing a bed with your snoring, sheet-stealing partner has you reconsidering moving in with your beau, fret no more — a growing field of research suggests that couples actually enjoy health benefits from sharing their sleeping space.
Past studies have highlighted the downsides of sleeping with someone else, such as the sleep disruption often caused by different bed times or different preferences in temperature.
The good news is that the psychological benefits of being close to someone at night outweigh the costs of sleeping with a partner, according to Dr. Troxel at the University of Pittsburgh. One hypothesis is that shared sleep promotes feelings of safety and security.
Still, it's nice to maximize shut-eye. Here are some tips for sleeping through the night when you have a guy by your side:
1. Invest in a new mattress that doesn't transfer motion when your man tosses and turns, like the Tempur-Pedic. Or get a king-sized bed — my fiancé and I share one, and sometimes I don't even know he's there!
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. Accept your partner's sleep schedule and work around it. I'm a total lark and my fiancé, is, well, not, so I wake up early to make breakfast and greet the day. It works out well!
5. Get checked for sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder that can result in heavy snoring and problems with breathing. It's completely treatable and worth looking into!
What do you do to make sleeping with your partner more pleasant?
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