This is a collaborative guest post.
Whilst we can all realise the importance of sleep in keeping us healthy and fit for our daily lives, few of us realise how important sleeping as a couple can be to our overall well-being.
Despite the occasional grumbles about different sleeping habits and one partner stealing the duvet cover in the middle of the night, research has shown that by sharing a bed we may not only enjoy a better night’s sleep, but also will be much better emotionally-balanced too.
The importance of sleep
Whilst sleeping is a natural requirement for all mammals, scientists are still struggling to understand exactly how the activity works in keeping us healthy. But the NHS clearly illustrates that lack of sleep can cause an array of harmful health issues ranging from diabetes to heart disease which is why it’s essential that we all try and do all we can to maximise our sleeping potential.
As well as the clear health issues, sleep is also essential for all of us to be able to concentrate successfully, and can also work wonders in keeping our skin clear and our emotions well-balanced.
Sleeping together
One of the biggest joys of being a couple is the ability to share a bed together. Not only is it highly comforting to go to bed with your loved one, but the act of sleeping together has increasingly been shown to aid us in many areas of health.
Although previous studies have hinted that sharing a bed may cause compromised sleep due to the limited sleeping positions available, a round-up of recent sleep research by the Wall Street Journal found that those in long-term relationships fell asleep more quickly and woke up less often in the night compared to those who slept alone.
Increasing your shared sleep potential
Despite the results of this research, it’s an unfortunate fact that many couples still find that there are problems when sharing a bed. Whether it’s differences in room temperature or body-clocks, it’s best that couples come to a shared understanding of how they approach sleeping together.
Such solutions can come in the form of ensuring that each couple has an adequately-sized bed. The bed retailer Bedstar has a handy article on how to choose the right-sized mattress that can ensure that each partner is able to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Similarly, it’s important for couples to realise that as individuals everybody has different requirements in terms of how much sleep they require on a nightly basis. Furthermore some people have night-owl habits that can often cause problems with people who are self-proclaimed early-risers. But one thing that might cause a moment of celebration for some couples is the recent research that suggests that couples who sleep naked together frequently enjoy a better night’s sleep.