Top 10 ways your partner can disturb your sleep - including snoring
Snoring, restlessness, and hogging the bed or the duvet, are some of the top sleep disturbances that Brits blame on their partners, a study has found.
A poll of 2,000 adults, who sleep in the same bed as their other half, found that four in 10 believe that doing so is causing their sleep to be interrupted.
Other ways in which their partner disturbs their slumber include sleep-talking, using technology at bedtime – and falling asleep with sound playing too loudly through their headphones.
In fact, 36% of those polled reckon that the use of electronic devices when they are trying to get some shuteye is the main thing negatively affecting their sleep – with their biggest bugbears being the TV left on, and blue light from devices illuminating the room.
Respondents claim they are averaging less than seven hours of sleep each night – six hours and 53 minutes – with only half of this (53%) considered to be deep, uninterrupted sleep.
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And as such, a third of those polled feel they do not get enough quality sleep – and over four in 10 (42%) have even tried sleeping in a different room to their partner, in an effort to rectify this.
Sleep expert Hannah Shore has shared her top tips to help both partners get a restful night's sleep (PinPep)The survey was commissioned by Premier Inn, which has released a sleep etiquette guide with tips on how to ensure you and your partner get the perfect night’s sleep.
Sleep expert Hannah Shore, from Silentnight, who has worked with the hotel chain on the guide, said: “The research has shown a real variance of routines are had across the UK. While a good number share a harmonious sleep schedule, others are finding their night’s sleep is interrupted by their partner.
“Technology can play a part in causing disruption, mainly with its use while someone else tries to nod off – so there’s definitely work to be done on ensuring everyone enjoys getting their rest without a negative impact.”
Common disruptive happenings at bedtime include other halves staying up to watch TV shows they like once their partner has gone to bed, and scrolling through social media between the sheets.
It also emerged that, of those who have slept in a separate room so as not to be disturbed by their other half, 19% do so often – and 4% every night.
However, six in 10 are left feeling guilty if they do interrupt their partner in some way – and 29% think they could do with aligning their routine more with their bed mate.
These include being respectful to each other by keeping the room dark and quiet - and not turning on any big lights after your other half has gone to bed (PinPep)Meanwhile, one in four say they and their partner tend to head to bed at different times – and, if doing so, 41% will try their best to sneak in as quietly as possible. However, almost half the time (45%), they are not successful when it comes to not waking their partner.
When it comes to technology, more than a third (35%) of those polled, via OnePoll, believe it can play a positive part in the bedtime routine.
Relaxation apps, white noise machines, and blue light filters were seen as the top benefits, while 24% enjoy the use of sleep tracking apps. That said, 43% find their partner’s use of technology at bedtime annoying.
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The sleep etiquette guide produced by Premier Inn has been created to allow readers to better incorporate technology into their routine, without annoying their partner – including what volume setting to go for when listening to things like sleep podcasts.
Sleep expert, Hannah Shore, added: “We’ve created a sleep etiquette guide to help people make little tweaks to their routines, that can bring great reward – and great rest.
“The research showed an average of less than seven hours sleep, and half of that being interrupted, so there’s definitely room for improvement. Simple things such as agreeing times to put phones down, hit the lights, or even allowing others to get to sleep first, can make all the difference.”
And if you need some help nodding off to sleep, the brand has launched its new Rest Easy Stories podcast series, narrated by Sir Lenny Henry.
TOP 10 WAYS SLEEP IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED:
- Snoring
- Restless movements
- Pulling the bedding too far over to “their side”
- Hogging the bed/rolling too far over to “my side”
- Temperature preferences
- Alarms
- Sleep talking
- Use of electronic devices
- Late-night lights
- Falling asleep with audible sounds playing through headphones
SLEEP EXPERT HANNAH SHORE'S TOP SLEEP TIPS:
- Be respectful of each other: Always keep the bedroom quiet and dark while your partner is sleeping.
- No switching on big lights: Don’t switch them on when someone’s trying to sleep or already asleep, and avoid banging about – keep noise to a minimum.
- Get your things ready for the next morning: If you’re getting up before your other half, make sure you have things set aside the night before to minimise disruption.
- Listen to a podcast – quietly: A podcast can help you switch off from all the things going around in your head – but if you do, make sure you use headphones, with volume at a sensible level, so as not to interrupt your partner.
- Switch off audio automatically: If you are listening to something to get to sleep, set it to turn off automatically after 30 minutes, as you should be in a deep enough sleep by then.
- Turn brightness down on your phone: Use eye comfort mode on your device to rid of harsh blue tones, and instead have subtle yellow ones.
- Don't listen to or read anything too stimulating: Content is important, so you don’t want anything that’s going to keep you awake because it’s too exciting. Similarly, don’t check emails or watch something too stimulating.
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