Here’s How Couples Can Sleep Through the Night

Happy couple lying on bed at home raising legs upIf you and your partner are in the market for a new mattress, then you’ll quickly pick up how tricky it becomes when you factor two unique individuals into the equation. And it’s not like you’re just deciding on where to eat food for the evening; you sleep on your mattress every night. And the better sleep we get, the better our health, mood and energy.

So there’s a lot to consider not only for each other’s sleep but also your overall relationship satisfaction. According to WebMD, sleep is related to marital satisfaction. For both men and women, their sleep affects their relationship functioning. Potential sleep disorders, different sleeping styles, firmness preferences, movement and habits all make up for some tough challenges to overcome together. While you may be compatible during waking hours, you may not be in-sync during sleeping hours. This is where the right tools and mattress comes in handy.

Compromise is a useful tool, but how can you do it if you share the same bed? After all, you don’t want any sleep issues to spill into your daily lives. Continue reading to find out how you can sleep better as a couple, including what to look for in a mattress that ensures you’re both getting those zzzzz’s. And better yet, the exact mattress that is probably exactly what you need.

Common sleep problems that affect couples

These are some of the most common challenges that impact the way couples sleep together:

Snoring

Different temperature preferences

Opposing sleep cycles

(early bird vs night owl)

Tossing and turning

Hogging the bed or sheets

Sleep disorders

(sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, etc.)

So what can you do if one or more of the above are preventing either of you from getting a good night’s sleep? Luckily, there are some approaches and ways you can both sleep peacefully.

Shot of a young woman covering her ears with a pillow while her husband snores in bed

How to sleep better as a couple

Determine your individual needs

Before you start to look for a mattress suitable for the both of you, it’s best to first each make a list of your own individual “must-haves”. This way you can evaluate the areas that coincide and the ones that don’t. It’s important to decide together on the priorities that you’re on the same page about and if there’s any room for compromise.

Communicate and identify consistent issues

You both need to be aware of anything that’s going on. If something comes up, it’s important to put everything on the table and communicate. This is especially pertinent if it’s as serious as a potential sleep disorder. Address and solve any problems together, seeking medical attention if need be.

Use sound barriers

If it’s something like snoring, alarm clocks or even sound from outside your home that’s interrupting your sleep individually or as a couple, then you can consider earplugs, a vibrating alarm clock or a fan to create white background noise.

Stagger bedtimes

According to experts, 30 minutes is the average time it takes for someone to fall asleep. If you have a partner that tosses and turns or takes a little more time to get comfortable, it may be in your best interests to go to bed at different times. Not everybody’s internal circadian rhythm will be on the same page, so while you might fare better going to bed earlier, your partner may not. Try staggering your bedtimes with the restless person going to sleep at a later time.

Purchase a great bed

Your sleep surface can make or break sleep quality—together or apart. Investing in a good mattress that is durable, supportive and comfortable for two people is no easy feat, but it’s a critical component of sleeping better as a couple. We go more in depth at what to look for in a mattress as a couple below.

What makes a good ‘couple’ mattress?

Motion isolation

This is one of the key attributes for couples sharing a mattress. Adequate motion isolation means that you can both sleep soundly without disturbing each other. Whether one of you needs to get up and use the bathroom or wake up earlier for work, you don’t want to easily wake up your partner. In terms of mattress materials, memory foam, polyfoam and spring based beds made from pocketed coils will be good for isolation motion transfer.

Enough space

This seems like an obvious attribute to look out for, but if there’s two of you sharing the bed and one person likes to move and roll over a lot while sleeping – you’ll need ample space to be comfortable. A queen-size mattress (60 x 80 inches) and king-size mattress (76 x 80 inches) are the most popular size options for couples. The best part about a king bed is that there is an added 8 inches of width space to each side, making it ideal for couples to stretch, switch positions and be intimate.

Good edge support

Edge support is an important element for couples to consider. It determines how much of the mattress you can both use and how well it keeps you on the bed. You should be able to both lie down near the edge and feel secure. Hybrid, latex and even coil mattresses are known for their great edge support.

Suits multiple sleeping positions

It’s unlikely that you got deep with your partner about your sleep position before you started sleeping together. But it’s likely that you both don’t always sleep in the same position. For this reason, you want a mattress that is supportive and comfortable for several sleeping positions.

The best mattress for couples who have different sleep preferences

This is hands down a split-king size mattress—just think about it. It’s essentially putting two twin XL beds (38 x 80 inches) together side-by-side. But each side has its own custom firmness, you’re guaranteed motion isolation, enough individual space and it still feels like you’re sharing the same bed. You can even connect them with a pad that rests where the two mattresses meet. The best of both worlds and there’s little compromise involved. A split-king size mattress is definitely the way to go if you’re a couple with varying needs looking for a mattress. Now that the size matter is settled, check out this article to see why you may want to consider hybrid mattresses if you’re partnered up.