How The 'Scandinavian Sleep Method' Can Save Marriages
Sleep is extremely important and we cannot function or have healthy relationships without it.
4 PM production / New Africa / Shutterstock; CanvaPro When you’re in a relationship, sleeping in the same bed can make you feel more connected, offer security and comfort, and improve communication with one another since you are consistently inches apart from one another in the same space.
However, it is okay to admit that sharing a bed with someone you love is not always sunshine and roses. Bedtime can be a battle over blankets, with one partner sweating and the other shivering, and both of you struggling to get comfortable.
Luckily, the ‘Scandinavian sleep method’ is said to 'save marriages' since it helps both partners get a good night’s sleep.
The method requires couples to use two different duvets and no top sheet on their mattress to ensure that both get a more comfortable rest.
With the Scandinavian sleep method, couples still share a bed but have their own duvets, reducing the constant yanking back and forth of the blankets and allowing them more freedom as they sleep.
The method was coined the “Scandinavian sleep method” since it is widely popular in Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. However, more couples in the U.S. are learning about this highly effective method and are incorporating it into their own bedrooms.
TikTok user Erica Stolan Dowdy and her husband often travel to Copenhagen where their beds are arranged using the Scandinavian sleep method. “Every time we go, I say when we get home I’m gonna give our house a Copenhagen-inspired makeover,” she shared in a video that has been viewed over 4 million times.
Erica claims that she also notices that Copenhagen has “no sad beige houses” and that they “love fun colors.” Therefore, she decided to say goodbye to her white bedsheets and hello to new pink linen sheets (which, according to Amerisleep, can reduce stress and soothe the nervous system, promoting an improved sleep quality).
Additionally, Erica ditched the top sheet on her bed and added two new yellow twin duvets, one for her and one for her husband to use. “We sleep so good,” she reveals. “No one’s fighting over blankets, nobody’s too hot or too cold. It’s absolutely amazing.”
Other couples have also incorporated the Scandinavian sleep method into their bedroom routines.
"My husband is from Germany and we’ve always done this, my favorite way to make the bed is to fold each twin and turn it sideways. It fits perfectly!” one TikTok user commented. “We have been sleeping like this since we visited Iceland. We took it further with a split king bed, adjustable so we are close but not attached,” another user shared.
Erica believes that the Scandinavian sleep method could “save marriages,” and research proves that she is not wrong.
The 'Scandinavian sleep method' improves sleep quality significantly.
Couples may unintentionally disrupt one another’s sleep due to their differing bedtime needs. One may like to keep the thermostat on low while the other prefers to sleep in a warmer environment.
This leads to inadequate sleeping patterns, which results in increased exhaustion throughout the day, making you more prone to snapping and feeling restatement toward your spouse and, let's be real, we are not ourselves when we don't get enough sleep.
Using two different duvets on the bed, one dedicated to each of you, allows you to regulate your body temperature as you please, minimizes sleep disruptions, and grants you your sleep as needed.
Photo: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock
“When it comes to setting the thermostat for night time, bed partners may disagree on what constitutes comfortable,” Terri Riutcel, an associate professor of neurology at the Sleep Medicine Center at the Washington University School of Medicine, told Good Housekeeping. “In that case, separate duvets or blankets allow each partner to personalize their sleeping space.”
The method also allows you to still have the benefits of co-sleeping with your partner and having a physical connection while still being able to sleep soundly.
So instead of opting to sleep in different beds to get the good night’s sleep you need, try out the Scandinavian sleep method since, despite its name, it can be used in any country!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.