Monday, January 17, 2011

Couples Sleep Easy Together or Apart

Do couples sleep easy together or apart? My grandparents, my parents and even Lucy and Desi slept apart in their twin beds. The Sleep and Biological Rhythms found that women sleep less when they share a bed verses men sleep better next to their partner. According to the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, Mark Mahowald, more couples are sleeping separately, because women have a tougher time sharing a bed with men as they are likely to be snorers. But snoring may not be the only problem; other illnesses and sleep disturbances, different work schedules, different sleep schedules or disagreements on firmness of the mattress are also sleep stealers. In addition, women tend to be lighter sleepers due to their motherly instincts to wake easily to a crying child. Men are very dependent on close relationships and are much happier and healthier when they sleep with their partner than men that are single and sleep alone. Experts agree that couples should look for solutions to snoring and other sleep problems before sleeping in separate beds.

[caption id="attachment_839" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Couples Sleep Easy Together or Apart - Lucy and Desi Twin Beds"][/caption]

If your partner snores, tosses and turns or hogs the covers it might not be entirely your partners fault for your lack of sleep. Sleepers often move together almost in a choreographed sequence and if your partner moves a lot during the night you will too, however sleeping together is still better than sleeping alone on a twin mattress. One of the best ways to improve your marriage sleep is to get a comfortable queen or king mattress. If your bed is five years or older it might have lumps and sagging spots that cause stiff aching joints. A better mattress can reduce tossing and turning. For those that steal the covers during the night, try having your own blankets so you won’t wake up during the night because you are too cold.

Snoring can be the result of dry air that results in stuffiness and congestion. Try a humidifier and/or nasal strips to keep the airways moist and open. If your partner is overweight, fat directly contributes to snoring and can cause sleep apnea. Chronic snoring should be checked out by your physician. If your partner wakes up periodically during the night with a sudden gasp for breath the excess weight on their neck may be causing a constriction to their airway passage. Losing just 10% of their weight can help reduce signs of sleep apnea and alleviate snoring. And we all know if you turn a snorer on their side they will snore less.

Sleeping with children can add to sleep problems. You should encourage children to sleep in their own bed so you can enjoy the space you have and not worry about getting kicked or jabbed during the night. Co-sleeping with children can also lead to suffocation according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Keep your television out of your bedroom or at least off at night. A study found that couples with a TV in the bedroom are less intimate than those without. Watching television in bed can also keep you up later than you should and you won’t get right amount of sleep you need to be refreshed the next day. It can also keep you from falling asleep easy because your mind is racing over the horror movie you just watched. Speaking of intimacy, a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 25% of couples reported feeling so sleepy they lost their sex drive. In a recent survey in Great Britton, 80% of those polled said they would choose a good night's sleep over a night of passion. This sample included both men and women!

Report have shown that people actually sleep sounder alone, but are sleeping better together. There is something that is beneficially to sleeping together that outweighs sleep disruptions from their sleep partner. You share a bed to find comfort and emotional intimacy even if you don’t get the best night’s sleep. Many reasons for sleep problem can include; which side of the bed they want to sleep on, different sleep positions, temperature of the room, sheet textures, teeth grinding, night light or no light, sleep music or no noise, size and firmness of bed, window open or fan on, number of pillows, time to go to bed and get up in the morning and your partners inability to sleep.

[caption id="attachment_840" align="alignright" width="249" caption="Couples Sleep Easy Together or Apart - Adults Too Tall for Twin Bed"][/caption]

If any of these reasons are other than medical (teeth grinding, snoring or insomnia) you need to be realistic and come to a compromise. One compromise might be to sleep in separate bedrooms or twin beds. Sleeping separately can save a marriage as many couple sacrifice comfort to be close to their partner, but after about five years people just want a good night’s sleep.

If you are considering a twin mattress review these twin bed stats:

Twin Mattress Size Dimensions

Twin Bed or Single Bed

• Overall dimensions: 39" wide x 75" long
• Width per person: 39''
• Advantages: Due to its small size, it easily fits in to small bedrooms. Twin bed sheets are least expensive of all sheet sizes and come in different patterns.
• Disadvantage: Its standard size is quite short for many adults.

Twin Extra Long Bed

• Overall dimensions: 39" wide x 80" long
• Width per person: 39"
• Advantages: This bed is 5'' longer than the standard twin bed and so is comfortable for taller teens and adults. For more flexibility, two extra long twin beds are a good option. It can either be used single or pushed together to form a king size bed.
• Disadvantages: The twin bed bedding is difficult to find as it's not available in all patterns.

The content in Couples Sleep Easy Together or Apart is for information purposes only, intended to raise the awareness of different solutions for your sleep problems and should not be considered medical advice. For medical diagnosis and treatment, please see your qualified health-care professional.
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1 comment:

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