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Do you sleep alone? ?

(152 Posts)
LaraGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 16-Mar-21 09:21:51

And does it help with insomnia? We’ve seen countless conversations over the years on Gransnet about partners disturbing a good night’s rest, whether that’s from snoring, stealing the duvet, being restless, or insisting on either tropical temperatures while you swelter away, or leaving all the windows open when it's freezing outside.
Is sleeping alone the answer?

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trisher Tue 16-Mar-21 14:53:34

I sleep alone and have done for years except when I stayed somewhere with my GCs. I would sometimes wake up during the night and find one of them standing at the end of the bed complaining they had had a bad dream, or they were cold or just find one climbing into bed beside me. They are too big for that now and anyway Covid put a stop to the over night stays.

emziemay Tue 16-Mar-21 14:57:56

I sleep with DH but he often falls asleep downstairs so comes up late. He can then wake me up with his snoring - I don't snore of course! wink

mumofmadboys Tue 16-Mar-21 14:57:57

I share a bed with DH. Wouldn't want it any other way but we are still fairly young and well( 66 and 63).

Happyhound Tue 16-Mar-21 14:58:38

I sleep with DH, he’s an owl and I’m a lark but he doesn’t usually wake me when he comes up to bed. He does steal the duvet in winter, or throw the whole thing onto me in summer though!

Greciangirl Tue 16-Mar-21 15:10:47

Yes, I sleep alone too.

My partner snores, thrashes around, so it’s definitely separate beds and rooms.

We are both happy with this arrangement and I don’t ever want to sleep with anyone ever again.
Also, I like to listen to the radio at night if unable to sleep.

silversand12 Tue 16-Mar-21 15:13:16

I've always slept alone, so I can't comment on what it's like to sleep with someone (well - I did sleep with my beloved dog for a few years!) but I suspect that depends very much on the sleeping habits of the person you are in bed with. If they are the type to talk in their sleep, snore loudly or a generally very "restless" sleeper then I can well see it would be beneficial to sleep separately....otherwise I think it's probably debateable. Especially if you're used to it - I would think it would actually probably hinder sleep, rather than improve it!

hulahoop Tue 16-Mar-21 15:25:27

Due to health problems we sleep separately we still have living relationship ,but it's nice to have bed to myself .

MiniMoon Tue 16-Mar-21 15:59:25

We have slept in separate rooms for years. We both worked odd hours. I did permanent night shift, and DH very early mornings. He didn't want to disturb me when he got up at 3 am while I was on nights off.
Now that we've retired we just carried on as we were.
I like the bed all to myself.

AGAA4 Tue 16-Mar-21 16:05:37

I live alone and sleep alone. Have done for many years now.

Nicegranny Tue 16-Mar-21 16:40:55

I sleep alone in the middle of a king size bed. I have six feather pillows and put them around me like a nest. I have the windows open all night and when it’s hot l have a silent fan on. I sleep well.

sazz1 Tue 16-Mar-21 16:49:26

I love sleeping alone but only used to get the chance when DH went camping with the BIL once or twice a year. It's magic to go to bed late, put the light on, play a game on my phone, and have the duvet over me how I want it.
DH snores loudly, goes to bed around 10.30, and is always too hot so throws the duvet over me all bunched up. He's very overweight and takes up most of our king size bed. I have to creep into bed in the dark so as not to wake him as I'm a late night person.

Miriam Tue 16-Mar-21 16:54:43

Although my husband gets up in the night to go to the bathroom (too much information maybe) as I am hard of hearing in my old age! it does not bother me. Happy days!

granh2 Tue 16-Mar-21 16:56:26

My husband is an owl, I am a lark. I like to settle down early, he likes to read into the small hours. I do not sleep well, so am often asleep when he brings a morning cup of tea. -He is owl by night yet lark by morning! (he naps in the daytime to catch up with sleep) He feels cold in bed, so likes a ultra thick duvet. I feel hot at night, so like a lightweight duvet. Luckily we have sufficient space for a bedroom and bed each! This has only happened as we have got older - it was never a problem when we were younger.

BlueSky Tue 16-Mar-21 18:38:16

No love sleeping with my DH, but we have a super king bed, so plenty of space. Like others I’m a lark and he’s an owl and it works quite well.

Kittyme1 Tue 16-Mar-21 18:46:37

Hubby and I sleep together but occasionally one of us will sleep in the other room if we are having a sleepless night. Whilst I enjoy having a double bed all to myself of a night I do miss being able to cuddle up together.

rozina Tue 16-Mar-21 20:09:02

Yes, I really think sleeping alone is the answer. I'm selfish in that I like to hug the middle of the bed. What's more if I want my sleep mask on or ear plugs in my ears or cream on my face then there's no-one to complain! Also there's no cold feet on mine. I can adjust the bedding and radiator to suit me and snore my head off if I want to!!!

elizab Tue 16-Mar-21 20:10:55

I sleep alone sometime my dog comes to lie next to me but she prefers her space!

Lollin Tue 16-Mar-21 20:17:04

No, but I think sleeping alone would be helpful for my dh. I disturb him more than he me and when we sleep in hotel king size beds I feel more relaxed from nodding off stage.

Anniebach Tue 16-Mar-21 20:23:35

I sleep with my two dogs

Revolucion Tue 16-Mar-21 21:49:36

It was great when we finally upgraded our double bed to a superking. Now we have separate rooms which means that going to bed and getting up at different times isn’t an issue and reading with a light on when the other person wants to sleep isn’t an issue either.

Everyone is at their best when they have slept better.

GagaJo Tue 16-Mar-21 22:02:08

I have always preferred sleeping alone. I have had 3 long-term partners. The first and second snored horrifically. Loud enough to wake me up through a wall, never mind when I was sleeping next to them! More recently, my partner becomes louder and moves more in bed after approximately 4am which is really annoying because I am often late to bed and his early movements and noise destroy my last 3 or 4 hours of sleep.

Consequently, I often sneak off to the spare room when I am woken for the first time. I prepare the other room before I go to bed, to make sure everything I need there is in place. A quick wee and then into the other room and a few more blissful hours sleep!

grannyactivist Tue 16-Mar-21 22:03:06

My husband and I have slept in different rooms for many years now and it ensures that we both get a decent night's sleep. I often have disturbed nights due to health problems and my husband travels a lot for work so he sometimes needs to leave home at dawn. Occasionally when we're on holiday we end up sharing a bed and enjoy the novelty for a few days, but we're always glad to get home to our own beds.

3nanny6 Tue 16-Mar-21 22:13:37

Rowsie ; I am the same even though I have a king size bed I too always position myself on one side of the bed rather than the middle. More often than not my dog jumps up on the bed, she starts off at the bottom of the bed but by morning fairly often she has managed to get under the duvet.
I sleep for at least seven hours so not too bad.

bridie54 Tue 16-Mar-21 23:21:15

We sleep separately too. DH has PTSD and once when I woke yelling I realised it was because he had grabbed me tightly by the forearm, he was having a waking nightmare.
I do so love to sleep with my partners and if things were different would love us to sleep together but DH has other health issues and I realised that for both of our sakes separate rooms was best. We have very different sleep patterns too tho I am still very attuned to him waking even through the wall.

Marthjolly1 Tue 16-Mar-21 23:43:52

I would love to sleep alone. My ex would snore very loudly most nights so I got used to sleeping in the spare bed and enjoyed my own space. My now partner loves to cuddle in and drapes his arm right over me which is heavy and uncomfortable and traps me down. I also like a cold bedroom and the feeling of cool air on my face when I'm warm and cosy unde the duvet. He likes the heating on which I finf makes the room very stuffy and airless. I did once creep into the spare room when I was feeling particularly warm one night. The cool sheets were lovely. He woke up and went into a panic, came and practically demanded I 'get back into bed'. I love it when we go away and there are two singles pushed together to make a double. I roll right over to the other side to have my own space