Just as poor sleep can contribute to poor health and vise versa, how well you sleep with your partner can be an indicator of the quality of your relationship. Laying down together every night can give the two of you an opportunity to talk and connect without the usual daily distractions all around you. Here are some suggestions to help you and your significant other enjoy a great night's sleep together.
Related Blog: Split Mattress: A Mattress that Works for You and Your Partner
Your Bedroom Should Be a Sacred Space
Your bedroom should be the sanctuary that gives you both. If you want to make it a sanctuary, you must actively guard it against outside distractions. Beyond an alarm clock, you should not have any electronic devices in your bedroom. This includes phones, computers and a television. You should also not allow disagreements or heavy discussion to come into your bedroom. Anything you need to work out, you should work out before you hit the hay. Pillow talk should be light and positive. You might even do more than talk. This is your time to connect. But after you have had some couple time, go to sleep.
No Kids Allowed
Not all of your distractions have flashing lights. Some distractions have two legs. Yes, there may be extenuating circumstances if your child is ill or has had a nightmare, but do not let your child form a habit of sleeping in your bed. If you have to, sit with them in their room until they fall asleep. This allows them to develop their own sacred space for sleep to help them with their own night time routine. You will be able to enjoy private time with your partner and sleep better if you are not battling a three-year-old for space on the bed.
Manage Your Obstacles
Sometimes there are obstacles that get in the way. If you have different schedules or if one of you snores or has a health problem, these are all things that can get in the way. As long as your are both committed to the same two goals of a happy relationship and a good night's rest, then any obstacle can be dealt with.
- If the two of you are on different schedules and concessions cannot be made to bring your schedules a little closer together, go to bed at the same time anyway. The night owl can hang with the early bird until the early bird is asleep. The whole point is to promote intimacy. What promotes intimacy more than one partner being willing to set everything else aside to spend time with the other person? Once the early bird is asleep, the night owl can continue with his or her routine.
- If one partner snores, this may be an indication of a health problem. A doctor should be consulted. If, however, there is nothing to be done, the two can go to bed together and then sleep in different spaces when one or the other is asleep.
- Sometimes, the obstacles can be overcome by simply replacing the mattress. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the wrong mattress can cause you to toss and turn in your sleep to restore blood flow to your extremities. This tossing and turning can also result in you (and your partner) waking as you turn. A mattress that reduces the pressure points on your body can also give you a better night's sleep.
A good night's rest next to your partner contributes not only to good health, but also to a happy relationship. If you are finding it difficult to manage one or the other, consider these tips to help improve your rest and your relationship. And if you think a new mattress may help to make your bedroom a better place to be, then visit Land of Sleep to find the right one.
