Do you and your partner have a good sleep schedule?
Maybe you like to go to bed early after dark and snuggle under a pile of blankets in the dark. And he is a “night owl”, watching TV or reading, and doesn’t stop until midnight.
When he finally got sleepy and dozed, the lights were usually on, but he had trouble falling asleep. He tossed and tossed and couldn’t sleep, either rolling the sheets into a ball or kicking them all out of bed, followed by snoring like a saw, and occasional sudden leg shaking.
As the morning light shines through the blinds into the bedroom, you may be grumbling about the harsh sun and your partner.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
I. Discordant sleep: a phenomenon encountered by many couples
If the restless sleep condition described above is familiar to you, don’t worry too much, because you’re not alone in this condition.
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) states that three-quarters of adults regularly wake or snore at night.
In an NSF survey of women aged 18-64, more than half said they had poor sleep several nights a week and often felt it the next day Consequences of poor sleep.
What is the culprit?
In many cases, the main culprit for poor sleep is snoring or poor sleep harmony with your partner.
Snoring is a serious health problem, a sign of sleep apnea, and the biggest bedtime conflict for many couples, according to sleep experts, but there are many other compatibility barriers as well.
This disorder may be related to physiology, such as differences in body temperature, or it may be related to differences in personal preferences, such as how firm a mattress is chosen.
In fact, these have as much impact on a good night’s sleep as snoring, and these problems will be further exposed once couples get past the overly optimistic initial stages of courtship.
Second, sleep dissonance: increasing with age
“If you’re younger and in a relationship, you’re more tolerant of problems,” says Helene A. Emsellem, MD.
Haileen is Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Washington, D.C., USA.
According to Paul, a research professor of family sociology at the University of Minnesota, sleep disturbances worsen with age.
“For older couples, sex usually happens when they’re young, and now the problem is snoring, plus they’re going to the bathroom multiple times a night,” he said.
As a result, the end result is that many older couples are reluctant to share a bed.
Other experts agree. “As we age, we get more and more complex,” Helene said. “For example, women experience hot flashes and snoring.”
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Three, Discordant Sleep: Insomnia
Even in the absence of sleep disturbances, a good night’s sleep is a rarity for many couples.
“We often take sleep for granted,” says Kevin Martinolich, MD, an employee at the East Tennessee Center for Sleep Medicine. It is not uncommon for patients to seek treatment after suffering from insomnia for many years.
If you are suffering from insomnia, you need to find the cause of your insomnia.
“You need to take a step back and ask yourself, ‘Are marital problems causing sleep problems, or sleep problems causing marital problems?'” Kevin said.
Not sure? The answer may lie in what you and your partner are willing to do to resolve sleep discordant situations. “
How to improve your night’s sleep: sleeping in separate rooms
Increasingly, couples, young and old, are trying to resolve sleep disturbances by splitting beds at night.
A recent NSF survey found that about 23 percent of American couples sleep in separate bedrooms.
British couples also reportedly have this habit. A survey by the British Sleep Council found that a quarter of the couples surveyed regularly slept in separate rooms.
This trend has become so ingrained thatArchitects usually design two master bedrooms when designing a new home.
However, many couples insist on hugging each other at night.
Rosenblatt, interview before writing “Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing” Snoring and other annoyances aside, the desire for intimacy keeps many couples in the same bed, according to 42 couples who share the same bed.
Four ways to improve nighttime sleep quality: Overcoming sleep apnea
Snoring may not sound like a serious annoyance. However, it is often associated with a possible severe sleep disturbance (sleep apnea).
Sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing during sleep, sometimes multiple times a night.
Over time, sleep apnea increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
Sleep apnea treatment is not a one-time thing. “Most physicians recommend patients use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilators,” said Dr. Rosalind Cartwright, founder of the Center for Sleep Disorders at Rush University Medical Center. “However, follow-up is also important.”
The night-time CPAP ventilator includes a mask, tube, and fan, and while it may look like a fancy Halloween mask, it allows the user to get a good night’s sleep.
The blower applies air pressure, pushing the user’s tongue forward and opening the throat so that enough air can pass through.
This reduces the effects of snoring and apnea. “The machine looks bland and ugly,” says Rosalind. “So, after a year, it’s down to 50 percent.”
This is why spousal support is important. Rosalyn said, “It’s critical that a spouse stays with you, monitoring and making sure the patient is on CPAP regularly.”
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
In a pilot study exploring the effect of bed sharing on adherence to CPAP therapy, Rosalind found that men who were advised by doctors to adhere to CPAP therapy when their wives were by their side were less likely to be on CPAP therapy. The possibilities are greatly increased.
Very severe sleep apnea requires additional support from the spouse. Losing weight (an important step to get rid of sleep apnea) is a lot easier when a spouse offers to help.
“You need to change the way you cook and walk with him,” advises Rosalynn.
A weight loss of 18 pounds can generally turn complete sleep apnea into postural sleep apnea, which occurs only when the patient is in a supine position.
“The symptoms of respiratory distress decrease when you lie on your side,” says Rosalynn. “Your mouth opens automatically.” Rosalyn gave patients a T-shirt to train patients to change from sleeping on their backs to sleeping on their sides;
This t-shirt has a pocket sewn on the back that holds 3 tennis balls. If they want to roll over, they are quickly reminded not to roll over.
“The whole process can take 1-2 years,” says Rosalynn. “Once the patient can sleep on their side, there is no need to wear this T-shirt.”
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