For some folks, sleep comes easy. For others, it’s as rare as a blue moon. Sleeplessness can be caused by a myriad of reasons, but if you’re sharing a bed with someone else, chances are, you have the reason right beside you. Some people’s insomnia and sleeping difficulties can be caused by their bed partner, as they might be doing things in their sleep that can disrupt and prevent your zzz’s.
What exactly are these things that your bed partner can be doing to keep you up all night? Here are some examples and how you can possibly address the cause.
1. They snore.
Snoring may be a common sleep disorder, but if you’re a light sleeper who gets woken up by the slightest noise, you will have a hard time sleeping if your bed partner snores. Unfortunately, snoring can’t be easily solved, especially if it’s caused by a more serious illness. However, it doesn’t mean that you should just settle with sleep deprivation. Get your bed partner checked and medicated for whatever’s causing their snoring and you’ll surely get some good night’s sleep.
2. They can’t sleep easily at night.
Night owls find it hard to shut down earlier than midnight, so if your bed partner is one, you’re bound to have late nights with them. They’ll most likely try to do things to pass the time until they’re sleepy, some of which can disturb your zzz’s. It’s great if you’re one of these nocturnal creatures, but if you’re more of a morning lark, sleep is of the essence for you.
What you can do is settle with different bed times. You go to bed when you’re sleepy and they can do the same thing later on so they don’t have to do stuff in bed that can disturb the onset of your zzz’s. If you absolutely must go to bed at the same time, though, make use of an eye mask and some ear plugs to shut the lights and noise out. Compromise is key if you’re in a situation like this, so you should be ready for such.
3. They hog the sheets.
If your sleep always get disrupted by the freezing cold and then having to play a tug of war over the blankets with your bed partner, chances are, you sleep with someone who’s a blanket hogger. Instead of tugging, pulling, and getting annoyed night after night over some covers, you should just get separate ones instead. This can easily solve your blanket woes and be able to get undisrupted sleep every night.
4. They love to sprawl.
Some people find it more comfortable to sprawl themselves all over the bed, pushing their bed partner to the edge of the bed, sometimes even pushing them off. If you’re one of those folks who wakes up while you’re already off the bed and about to hit the ground, you’re in a serious situation.
What you can do is to talk to your bed partner and tell them what they’re doing. They might not be able to completely control their actions while they’re asleep, but they might be able to consciously control how much they’re hogging the space. You can also opt to get a bigger bed. This way, both of you will have ample personal space for nocturnal movements.
5. They move a lot in their sleep.
They kick, punch, toss, and turn in their sleep, waking you up with their every movement. Unfortunately, this issue can’t be easily resolved, as some folks are really wired to be restless in their slumber, so solving it permanently might be a challenge. However, what you can do is to get a bigger bed so can get some space between yourselves during the night. If you also choose a model with individually wrapped coil core like Beautyrest’s Platinum line, you might experience less sleep disturbance from your partner’s movements as this type of coil system isolates movements instead of creating a rippling effect all over the bed.
6. They love to snuggle and you don’t.
Some folks love to snuggle when in bed, others hate it. If this is your case, you will need to work things out with your bed partner properly. Their feelings might get hurt if you tell them flat out that you don’t like to snuggle when you sleep, so put it nicely and make sure to compromise. Settle with a 10-20 minute cuddle time before you can be allowed to get your space for catching some zzz’s. Cuddling is a great way to wind down and relax, so missing out on it won’t be good, so create a nice arrangement that will help the both of you doze off without a hitch.
These are just a few ways how your bed partner can cause your sleeplessness and the things you can do about it. If all else fail, you can also resort to getting separate twin beds in the same bedroom to create a more harmonious sleep environment for everyone.