Tossing and turning, snoring and conflicting sleeping schedules are some of the common issues that bed partners often struggle with.
What can couples do to sleep better together?
Noise Control
Different wake-up times and alarm clocks that wake the other partner can hamper a couple's harmony, says Yelena Chernyak, a psychologist at Indiana University Health Neuroscience Center. Some of Chernyak's patients have reported success using silent wearable devices that vibrate when a person needs to wake up. "This is much less intrusive to your partner's sleep habits, if they don't need to wake up at the same time," she says.
A white noise machine can help drown out a partner's snoring. You can also try an adjustable base that allows you to raise your partner's head to reduce snoring.
Space Issues
If you feel that you end up fighting for bed space every night, you might consider getting a larger bed.
"Some people love king-sized beds because they like a lot of space in the bed," says psychotherapist Stan Tatkin, author of "Wired for Love." But, interestingly, there are those who are not too keen on giant bed sizes. "There are some other people who really need to have some kind of physical touch in the evening in order for them to sleep well," Tatkin says. "For those people we generally recommend queen-sized beds because they are large enough to separate [sleepers] but not so large that people can get 'lost' in the bed."
Different Comfort Preferences
It is rare for partners to have exactly the same preferences when it comes to bedroom temperature or mattress firmness, says Terry Cralle, a certified clinical sleep educator and co-author of "Sleeping Your Way to the Top: How to Get the Sleep You Need to Succeed." "But the mattress industry itself has come a long way to help couples sleep better together," she says.
If you each prefer different mattress firmness, the Sleep Number® smart bed adjusts on both sides, so you can have the firmness or softness you like on your side of the bed. And if one of you likes your bed to feel toasty warm and the other prefers a cooler sleeping temperature, the DualTemp™ layer lets both of you have it your way.
Like diet and exercise, quality sleep is essential for optimal wellbeing and performance. Because everyone's sleep needs are different, Sleep Number® smart beds sense your movements and automatically adjust firmness, comfort and support to keep you both sleeping comfortably. Find your Sleep Number® setting for your best possible night's sleep.