Sleep incompatibility is a big issue many couples face. According to a recent survey from the National Sleep Foundation, almost one in four married couples sleep in separate beds. While there are many different reasons for this, Dr. Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, says it’s largely because couples who continue to share a bed suffer from 50 percent more sleep disturbances than those who sleep alone. What are those disturbances and how can Kitelinens pure cotton white bed sheets help couples sleep better together? Read on to find out about blanket hog solutions and other remedies to common sleep issues among couples.
Movement, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and how Kitelinens white cotton bed sheets can help
If you or your partner is an “active sleeper” (translation: you unconsciously move your body around a lot while you’re asleep), then sleeping together can get problematic.
Unconscious “sheet hogging” at night is a very common complaint among people who have a partner that tosses and turns a lot at night. Luckily, Kitelinens pure cotton sheets are the solution for sheet hogging. An extra long design and dual side slits prevent partners who move around a lot during the night from pulling the sheet all the way over to their side while giving them the flexibility to move. Kitelinens are the best organic cotton sheets for unintentional sheet hogs and their partners, and our sheets are cuddle-friendly too!
If you or your partner has noticed a change in sleep behavior and movements, contact your doctor or sleep specialist. Learn more about sleep disorders that affect movement such as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder and restless leg syndrome (RLS) on the Mayo Clinic’s website.
You or your partner suffers from snoring and sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the most common complaints among bed partners. Unlike blanket hog solutions, remedies for snoring can be more complicated. Snoring is typically caused when the airflow between the mouth and nose is obstructed, and if left unaddressed, can become a sore subject between romantic partners, roommates, and family members. Snoring may force some partners to sleep in separate bedrooms.
Snoring happens during sleep because the space behind our tongue narrows, and the tissue around it gets floppy and relaxed. When air gets forced through as we breathe in and out, the tissue flutters, making noise like a flag whipping in the wind. The airflow from breathing causes floppy tissue in the back of the throat to vibrate. If you suffer from snoring, you should speak to your doctor or a sleep specialist.
The good news is that for people with mild snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea, research has shown that mouth and throat exercises can help tone the muscles around the airway so that snoring is not as frequent or noisy. These mouth exercises (called myofunctional therapy or oropharyngeal exercises) are often taught by a trained myofunctional therapist. It requires time and effort for these mouth exercises to have an effect, but when done properly, a significant number of snorers have reported that these exercises lead to less snoring and better sleep. For more information on snoring and myofunctional therapy and oropharyngeal exercises, see this post from the Sleep Foundation.
Environmental factors that can cause sleep disturbances. Now that we’ve covered two of the most common sleep issues with couples and why Kitelinens are the best cotton sheets for sheet hogs, let’s breakdown the environmental factors that could be affecting you and your partner’s slumber and explore some ways to problem solve and compromise.
- Mattress type. Two people can have very different firmness preferences and support needs when it comes to picking out a mattress. You might like the feeling of a stiff mattress, but your partner might like something that feels soft and enveloping. You might like the texture of memory foam, but your partner might like the feeling of a traditional spring mattress. Most couples need a mattress that isolates motion and stays quiet. Luckily, there are mattresses out there that give you the ability to increase/decrease firmness on one side of the bed so that each partner can have their desired texture and support. Though these mattress types are expensive, the investment may be worth it depending on how much this factor is affecting your sleep and your relationship.
- Bedding. Just like mattress type, the texture of sheets and bedding can be just as important to a good night’s rest but may also be a point of disagreement between partners. Thread count, fabric type and number of layers are all individual preferences to take into consideration. Kitelinens cotton sateen Stay-Tucked Sheets use breathable, pure organic cotton to appeal to a wide range of texture preferences. Plus, Kitelinens pure cotton white bed sheets pair well with whatever additional bedding (quilts, duvets, blankets) you and your partner choose to sleep with.
- Temperature. Related to bedding and mattress type is the issue of temperature, but you and your partner may not be in agreement on what number to land the thermostat on at night. According to the Sleep Foundation, most doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 19.4 degrees Celsius) for the most comfortable sleep. For you or your partner, sleep temperature preference may vary throughout the year as the seasons change and will almost certainly vary throughout life due to changes in the body. There are a number of ways to approach solving the problem of different sleep temperature preferences. Kitelinens breathable sateen Stay-Tucked sheets are great for those who tend to sleep hot because they allow you to easily kick one (or both!) legs out from under the cover and prevent trapped toes, trapped heat and moisture from making it too hot in the bed.
- Light. How much light to keep on at night can be another aspect of the sleep environment that you and your partner disagree on. Some people like complete darkness, while others like a night light, a cracked door letting light in or even a TV on while they sleep. Learn more about lighting and sleep from the Sleep Foundation here.
- Sound. Another area of sleep that varies greatly between individuals is sound. Some may need it to be completely silent while others find white noise or “static” noise from a phone app or a white noise machine to be conducive to sleep. If you and your partner have significantly different sleep sound preferences, you may need to get creative with different wearable solutions. To learn more about sound and sleep, visit Sleep.org.