Bedtime Bickering Costing Couples Sleep

– Aussies lose two nights of sleep each year due to bedtime rows –

Forget a kiss good night followed by a blissful night’s sleep – two out of three Aussie couples admit to ending the day by bickering in bed.

New research, by Sleepmaker, reveals that a third of couples (33%) argue in bed on average three times a week resulting in two full nights of missed sleep each year.

Agreeing on a bed time, hogging the doona, snoring and even farting – the list of what sets couples off at bedtime is endless.

One in five (20%) married couples complain that their partners’ hot body, or cold hands and feet leads to bedtime arguments, which is unsurprising as almost half (47%) say it’s a key cause for waking them up at night, while more than one in three couples (40%) blame their partners’ snoring and fidgeting for interrupted sleep.

And it’s no wonder these habits are causing so much angst – one in ten (10%) married couples are disturbed four times or more a night and one in five (18%) admit to getting less than four hours sleep at least one night each week.

Relationship Expert Elly Taylor said: “Sharing a bed is important for couples to feel connected, but not everyone has the same sleep style which can lead to arguments, pent-up frustration and ultimately affect sleep patterns.

“Couples need to communicate openly about how their partners’ sleeping style affects them but this should be done outside of the bedroom to avoid further sleep loss. Working out what your sleep deal breakers are and then putting a sleeping plan in place can go a considerable way to helping this.”

The research also reveals that women are more likely than men to blame their partners for lack of sleep (39%) than men (25%) and a quarter of Aussie couples have sacrificed late night and early morning sex in order to catch up on their shut eye.

Brooke Daley from Sleepmaker said: “We’re not surprised that couples spend so much time bickering in bed as partner disturbance while sleeping has long been an issue. One of the easiest ways to solve this is to invest in the right mattress. Mattresses such as Sleepmaker’s Together Alone range uses technology to isolate your partners movement to ensure you both sleep soundly.”

The Nation’s Biggest Bed Bickering Topics
• Snoring – 26%
• Hogging the doona – 23%
• Contrasting body temperatures (hot bodies & cold hands) – 17%
• What time to go to bed – 14%
• Partner’s farting – 12%
• Leaving the light on to read – 11%
• Partners fidgeting – 10%
• Texting or emailing in bed – 7%
• Which side of the bed to sleep on – 6%

Tips for sharing a bed

Bickering in bed sound familiar? Try these tips to avoid arguments and maximise your sleep.

1. Agree a bedtime and then create a routine such as having a bath or relaxing with a herbal tea to align your body clocks and wind down together.
2. Set your alarms for the same time and avoid the urge to hit the snooze button and get up at the same time. Not only will hitting snooze make you feel more tired it will also affect your partners sleep.
3. Purchase single doonas to avoid your partner hogging the covers.
4. Create a technology free zone by banning phones, TV and tablets in the bedroom.
5. Someone a snorer? Keep ear plugs by your bed or consider sticking a tennis ball to the back of your partners pyjama top to stop them rolling onto their back. If snoring persists encourage your partner to book in to see a doctor.
6. Invest in a partner disturbance mattress. Sleepmaker’s Together Alone Mattress uses technology to isolate your partner’s movement to ensure you both sleep soundly.
7. Kick out the pets. Two in a bed is more than enough. Pets can cause allergies or lead to mattresses becoming infested with fleas resulting in even greater sleep disturbance.
8. Over communicate. Regularly discuss any sleep related issues that you may have, and ensure these discussions take place early in the day so that the evening is used for relaxing.
Sleepmaker