How to Sleep Well as a Couple

For most, sleeping with a partner feels warm, comforting, and secure. For others, it is anything but that. According to a Better Sleep Council survey, 26% of people say they sleep better when alone than with a partner.

If you find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep due to sharing your bed with someone, listening to them snoring, or just having another body in your bed, here are some simple tips to help improve sleep with your partner.

• Keep the room cool: A room temperature of around 65°F is desirable for a good night’s sleep. Your body’s internal temperature shifts during a 24-hour period. Your body begins to shed warmth right about the time you go to bed and continues to cool down until reaching its lowest point near dawn, at around 5 a.m. The body cools by expanding the blood vessels in your skin.
• Keep YOUR regular sleep schedule: It's easy to want to stay up late with your partner who may be a night owl, but those late nights can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule. It’s fine to stay up a little late, but try to limit it to no more than an hour off of your regular schedule.
• Ditch the electronics and TV: If your partner likes to stay up late watching Netflix or browsing on their phone, have them do so in another room away from you as it can disturb you and become problematic to you when trying to fall asleep.
• Go to bed at different times: Some people need more time to fall asleep in comparison to others. If your partner tossing and turning is affecting your sleep, different bed times may be a solution. On average, it takes 30 minutes to drift off to sleep. Try a later bedtime, being quiet and careful of course so as not to disrupt your sleeping partner. If they or you sleep on your back and snoring becomes the culprit consider an Positional Therapy Sleep Aid to keep you off your back and prevent snoring.

Need to talk to your partner about snoring? Read “5 Tips for Talking to a Loved One About Their Snoring.”

• Cuddle before bed: Physical touch releases oxytocin, known as the "cuddle hormone" or the "love hormone.” This hormone makes people more emotionally open and compassionate. Couples strengthen relationships by physical touch and the flood of oxytocin. Cuddling is important for this reason, but it becomes problematic if you have trouble while sleeping due to direct contact with your partner. Try cuddling each night as you get in bed, but move apart to sleep. If being in actual physical contact with someone disturbs your sleep, try staying close, but without actually touching

Learn more ways to unlock the “love hormone” in bed with your partner. Read “Why Sleeping With Someone is Good For Your Health.”

• Choose a new mattress: If you sleep with a partner consistently, you may notice how difficult it can be to fall or stay asleep if you tend to feel every twist and turn that your partner is making on their side of the bed. Try a mattress with low motion -- it can really aid in helping your co-sleeping life for the better.
• Use separate covers: If you or your mate tend to hog the blanket, getting separate covers is a simple and effective solution. Share a sheet, but use two blankets, bedspreads, or covers to help compartmentalize sleep a bit more. Your partner can wrap up his or her body in a cocoon-like position if desired. You may find that you’re more comfortable under your own separate covers and aren’t waking up to play “tug of war.”

Every couple should enjoy sleeping together. If you can’t, don’t head to the couch just yet. Easy adjustments can transform your sleep and bring you closer as partners. And if snoring is the issue keeping you from sleeping well together, ZQuiet has resources to help you navigate talking to your partner, and solutions to overcome the problem!