According to a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, a person can lose up to 49 minutes of sleep a night when disturbed in bed by a partner. That equates to some 300 hours of lost sleep a year! Even if you don't wake up, disturbed sleep can affect every part of your life – from your alertness at the wheel when driving to your concentration in meetings at work to your personal relationships.
The first tip for a relaxing night's sleep for two people is an obvious one – choose a bed that is big enough to comfortably accommodate two adult people. Better still, make sure you also purchase a mattress that has been designed to reduce the transfer of partner movement during the night.
Stress, worry and anger can make it very difficult to sleep well. If you can't stop yourself from worrying, you may need to learn how to manage your thoughts. Evaluate your worries to see if they are genuine and realistic. Learn to replace irrational fears with more positive and productive thoughts.
Hectic work and social schedules mean that it's not always easy to prepare healthy meals at home, try to reduce your consumption of sugar, fat and fried foods while making sure that your diet includes plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole-grain cereals and breads, rice, pasta, fish and poultry. As with caffeine and alcohol, avoiding eating late at night and cut out the foods that you know will cause indigestion, gas or heartburn.
While there's nothing wrong with enjoying a glass of wine or a cold beer in the evening, try to avoid consuming alcohol within three hours of going to bed. It may cause you to repeatedly wake up during the night, snore or exacerbate sleep apnea. As for that nightcap; while it might help you fall asleep sooner, alcohol can reduce your sleep quality and wake you up later in the night.
The caffeine found in products such as coffee, tea, and many sodas and chocolate usually remains in the body for between three to five hours, but it can still have an effect up to 12 hours later. Even though you may not notice it, caffeine may be disrupting and changing the quality of your sleep. Try to avoid caffeine within six to eight hours of going to bed.
If you bring your work to bed or fall asleep with the television on each night, you may be reducing both the quality of your own sleep and that of your partner. Experts suggest that you use the bedroom only for relaxing rituals and sleep. That means leaving the computers and televisions in other rooms.
The average person tosses and turns 40 to 60 times each night – and 70 percent of the time their partner moves with them. This means that partner movement can lead to 13 percent more awakenings each night, 22 percent more time spent in light sleep, and 20 percent less time spent in stages 3 and 4 deep sleep. Deep sleep is essential for healing and rejuvenating the body and the mind for peak performance the next day.
- Size matters. Anything smaller than a queen-sized bed is just too cramped for two people and all the involuntary movement that happens in the wee hours.
- Compare thoughts before going to the store. A bed is perhaps the most important piece of furniture you will ever buy as a couple so make sure you discuss what is important to each of you. And if you can't agree, then compromise. Ask your retailer for options.
- Set your budget in advance. Determine your price range for a mattress and stick to you. If you can't find what you want within your budget, it's better to save up for a few months than to accept many years of misery and poor sleep.
- Take a test drive! If you want a true test of comfort, book a romantic getaway at a hotel that features your preferred brand of mattress in its beds. Similarly, if you travel and like a specific bed, ask the hotel manager to give you more information on the brand and model.
- Always buy the box spring. Like any good couple, a mattress and a foundation complement each other. Buying just the mattress may reduce its comfort and support, shorten the lifespan of the bed and possibly void the warranty.
Your Simmons® Mattress Guide
Looking for a mattress that provides comfort and support? Simmons offers a wide range of mattresses to choose from, including:
Simmons Beautyrest® is a sleep system specifically designed to provide a night of refreshing, undisturbed sleep. All Beautyrest® mattresses feature Pocketed Coil® springs, which reduces the transfer of partner movement and adjust individually to the weight and contour of your body. Select models feature Smart Response™ Pocketed Coil® technology, which features a unique Dual Action Design. The tapered top provides exceptional conformability and pressure relief, while the barrel-shaped lower section offers individualized levels of back support for your unique body form – even as you change position during the night.
Specially-designed to provide the ideal combination of comfort and support, the Advanced NxG® Memory Foam memory foam in a Simmons® ComforPedic® mattress not only responds quickly to your movements, it also dissipates heat to help keep you at your ideal sleeping temperature – all night long. Plus, there's no break-in period and no more feeling like you're sleeping in quicksand.
Comfort and support. Who says you can't have both? Combining the comfort of memory foam with the support of Smart Response™ Pocketed Coil® springs, Simmons Beautyrest® NXG® offers the best of both worlds. The Pocketed Coil springs adjust individually to the weight and contour of your body, and since they aren't tied together, there's no chain reaction of movement when you turn or move. At the same time, Advanced NxG® Memory Foam dissipates heat to keep you at your ideal sleeping temperature.
The natural rubber tree-based latex in Simmons® Natural Care® mattress is soft yet supportive to help eliminate pressure points across your entire body. Latex is not only a supremely comfortable and supportive material, it is also extremely durable, hypoallergenic and naturally dust mite, mold and mildew resistant.
