It might come as a surprise that co-sleeping with your partner has a significant effect on your relationship.
According to the Sleep Medicine Review, “The ritual of going to bed with a trusted and secure partner provides many couples with the opportunity to unwind and digest the stresses of the day prior to falling asleep.” This means that falling asleep next to your partner not only strengthens your connection, but it also can help you achieve a better night’s sleep.
Moreover, sleeping next to your partner contributes to a feeling of security in your living environment. Co-sleeping lowers alertness, which allows you to fall asleep sooner and enjoy a deeper sleep. However, it’s fairly common for partners to not be compatible when it comes to sharing a bed, which means that sleeping together is often easier said than done. Luckily, here are some useful tips that you can try so that you can make the most out of your nights with each other.
Setting The Mood
Creating a bedroom environment where both of you can feel cozy and relaxed is essential, but it can be difficult to cater to both of your needs. Often, it can feel like the two of you are stuck in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”:
This bed is too hard, this blanket is too hot, that fan is too loud. Being comfortable helps us fall asleep and stay asleep, so finding the right formula for the bedroom is worth it.
For example, if one of you runs hotter at night, there is bedding that utilizes cooling gel to help regulate body heat. So, instead of lowering the thermostat or opening a window, consider investing in some gel-infused bedding that can cool down one partner without turning the other one into a popsicle. It also might be worth getting two separate blankets to stop the blanket-hog in your relationship from always stealing the covers.
Essential oils are also a must-try, as they promote relaxation and better sleep. The experts at Healthline report that, “Researchers found that lavender increased the amount of slow — and deep — wave sleep in participants.” Diffusing oils in your bedroom such as chamomile, lavender, and rose oil can relax your body and mind; you can also tap them onto your wrist or neck before crawling under the covers.
Phone-Free Zone
Unfortunately, the light from your mobile devices is likely making it difficult for the two of you to fall asleep. Healthline explains why, “When it gets dark in the evening, a part of the brain called the pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which signals to our bodies and brains that it is time to… go to sleep. Blue light, whether [it comes] from the sun or [from] a laptop, is very effective at inhibiting melatonin production. This means that our bodies don’t get the proper signal that it’s time to go to sleep, reducing both the quantity and quality of our sleep.”
Sometimes, it can feel as though mindlessly scrolling through your social media feed is the only way you can unwind at night, but that light from your device is likely causing you to lose sleep. Furthermore, the light can affect your partner next to you. Falling asleep without looking through social media can be a difficult habit to break, but turning off your devices at bedtime will help save both you and your partner from sleep loss.
Stop the Snoring Before It’s Too Late
Snoring is a pretty common irritant when it comes to sleep loss and fights; partners can come to resent their snoring partner. This means, unfortunately, that arguments can become quite serious and cause a disconnect between partners, due to the mental effects a lack of sleep causes.
Trying out some exercises that can help with snoring might be exactly what your relationship needs. Snore Nation suggests trying, “Oropharyngeal exercises, [which] are a non-surgical way to reduce snoring by strengthening the muscles in the throat and mouth. This will help to keep the muscles from relaxing or collapsing during sleep, which causes the vibrations known as snoring.” Snoring can be difficult to manage, but reducing it will result in a better night’s sleep as well as less fighting in the a.m.
Relationships are often about compromising, working together to find the best solution for a problem affecting both partners. Getting quality sleep is one of the most important necessities for a healthy life, and in turn, a healthy relationship. Finding and implementing sleeping solutions is the best way to get both you and your partner back on track to dreamland. Good luck!
Featured image via Jeremy Banks on Unsplash
