How to make sleeping with your partner a better experience

Here are some of the most common problems with sleeping with a partner, and how to deal with them.

Sleeping with your significant other is not always the wonderful thing it’s portrayed  in the movies.

Different habits, snoring, sleep talking and moving are just a few of the things that could disturb your sleep with a partner in bed.

If you’re not well rested, you’re also liable to be tired and cranky – and potentially cranky at your partner.

To avoid unnecessary arguments and get a better night’s sleep, here are some of the most common problems with sleeping with a partner, and how to deal with them.

It can be extremely hard to sleep next to someone who snores like a chainsaw all night. It can also be bad for their health, although your partner may not be aware that their nightly noise is causing a problem.

There are many factors that contribute to snoring: your partner’s age and weight, whether they drink, and sleep apnea are just a few of the possible causes.

If the snoring is bad and chronic, it’s best for your partner to see a doctor for a possible referral to a sleep specialist. They can come up with a plan to reduce the contributing factors, or treat them for conditions like sleep apnoea.

There are few more frustrating things than waking up freezing cold in the night, only to realise your partner has stolen most of the blanket from you.

Try using an oversized blanket or doona – a king-sized spread on a double bed, for instance – to give you both a little extra coverage.

If it’s a regular and persistent problem, however, it might be worth having two sets of blankets and doonas. That way no one has their blanket stolen.

If you don’t want to go the separate blanket route above, figure out a good temperature that’s somewhere in the middle which you can both agree on.

That way one person can use an extra blanket if they like, or the other person can stick a leg out and still be happy with the temperature.

It can be hard if you both keep different work hours, and one of you has to get up extra early for work and the other likes to stay up late.

In order to minimize sleep disturbance try to keep your screens out of bed, so the early-riser can sleep, and if you’re the first to get up try to be mindful of hitting snooze too many times.

A cuddle is nice before bed, but many people find it difficult to go to sleep tangled up with another person.

If an evening snuggle really will prevent you drifting off, let your partner know so you can agree to sleep in your own space.

It doesn’t mean forgoing a snuggle altogether, but if you bring it up your partner shouldn’t be offended when you move over to your own side of the bed.