5 Tips for Dealing with a Restless Bed Partner

Are your partner's sleep issues keeping you up at night? Here are tips to help you both snooze better!

More on:

• Sleep
• Sleep Solutions

Sleep loss can kill a relationship. In a study at the University of California at Berkeley, researchers found that sleep deprivation fractures brain mechanisms that tame our emotional responses to stressors. In other words, once provoked by a spouse or significant other after sleep deprivation, there’s no guarantee we will play nice. And that kills sex and considerably lowers the chances of staying together. Here’s how to make sure that doesn’t happen.

 

1. TALK TO YOUR PARTNER. Be factual, brief, and don’t bring in other issues. Avoid personal criticism. Women who refuse to discuss sleep issues with their partners may be putting themselves at risk for more than insomnia. A Maryland study recently found that women who “self-silenced” during conflicts with their spouses were four times more likely to die over a 10-year period than women who did not.

 

2. EMPHASIZE THAT IT’S “OUR” PROBLEM. That makes it clear that you’re in this for the long haul and you’ve got his back.

 

3. ENCOURAGE HIM TO GET HELP. Suggest he make an appointment with your family doctor to discuss the issue and consider whether or not a referral to a sleep center certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine would help.

 

4. USE PROPS. Eye masks, ear plugs, white-noise machines, mattresses with “firmness” controls, feather boas—use whatever it takes to increase the likelihood that you’ll sleep through your partner’s tossing and turning.

 

5. SEPARATE. If the problem is long-term, think twin beds or separate rooms. You can always tiptoe in for a morning cuddle after a good night’s sleep.

From Sleep to Be Sexy Smart and Slim

 

• Special Report: Sleep Crisis in America
• 
• 20 Stress Fixes for Better Sleep
• Reducing stress can impact your sleep significantly. Here are 20 smart ways to calm down and rest up.
• 
• Nightmares: What You Can Do
• Discover the causes of nightmares and how you can chase them away!
• 
• Sleep and Aging
• Poor sleep in our elders is caused by very specific problems. Here are some very specific solutions to counter them.
• 
• 20 Foods That Make You Sleepy
• Here's a list of snoozers!
• 
• Help for Sleepless Moms
• Here’s how to get the housework done, give your children the attention they need, and help your kids get the sleep they need—so you can, too.
• 
• Work Schedules and Sleep Deprivation
• Whether you work 9 to 5 or around the clock, chances are you're not getting the sleep you need. Here are the scary consequences of sleep deprivation, and tips to help you cope.
• 
• Sleep Apnea: Types and Treatments
• 20 million Americans struggle with some form of sleep apnea. Here's expert information about a common problem.
• 
• 15 Smart Ways to Beat Jet Lag
• No one likes jet lag. We get off a flight feeling wrinkled and exhausted and then head into a day full of meetings or jump full swing into a vacation. Here's how to reset your body clock and sleep better.
• 
• Narcolepsy Symptoms and Strategies
• Learn more about the disorder that complicates both staying awake and staying asleep.
• 

Lisa, my sister, went to the department store to check out the bridal registry of our niece whose wedding was coming up soon. When my sister returned from the store, she tossed the gift list on a table and declared, "I think she's too young to get married."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because," Lisa said, "they've registered for Nintendo games."

-- Michelle Laverty, Saginaw, Mich.

“ Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for all the aliens I've met and loved. ”

— Jonathan Frakes

See More Quotes

Sponsored Links