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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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Jessica321 Wed 17-Mar-21 00:00:23

Yes I sleep alone. My husband is in the next room, we both have double beds, he has the en suite and I have the bathroom.
It started when I injured my back and needed more space in bed and has continued even though I am better as it works best for us.
I am a night owl and he is a morning lark.

muse Wed 17-Mar-21 01:16:10

No but I'd love a super king size all to myself grin.

We currently have a double because of lack of space. MrM talks and moves a lot and I've moved into our annex on the very odd occasion. It can get very dangerous ! We'll have a king size in new house and one in the other bedroom just in case.

Smurf44 Wed 17-Mar-21 01:41:13

I sleep alone for 6 nights a week but share my bed with my long-time partner of 30 years on Saturday nights. He still has his own house! I enjoy the freedom of being able to read or listen to music or even watch TV when I’m by myself, but I also enjoy his warm cuddles, especially in cold weather! We always share a bed when we go away ?? and I give him a gentle poke if he snores a bit! I miss him when we get home again but love being sung to sleep by Max Boyce via my new Alexa Echo 5 in the bedroom. His lovely soft Welsh voice is very relaxing. I wonder if he snores? ??

19panda Wed 17-Mar-21 05:29:08

Mostly yes unless the cat is hogging the duvet!

Bellasnana Wed 17-Mar-21 05:46:27

Since being widowed almost six years ago, I sleep alone in the superking sized bed that I shared with my darling husband for 35 years.

I still sleep on ‘my’ side of the bed and my feet still wander over to ‘his’ side when I’m cold, but his lovely warm body isn’t there any more.

Even during his illness we still shared a bed and he died in it with my arms around him. Miss him terribly, but have no desire to share my bed with anyone else.

fevertree Wed 17-Mar-21 07:27:27

I sleep with my husband in what I call a giant bed; after the years of a "small double", we now have a Super Kingsize bed. I joke that I crawl around on all fours to find him. We both sleep like logs! with few exceptions.

fevertree Wed 17-Mar-21 07:28:56

Bellasnana ?

Franbern Wed 17-Mar-21 08:55:48

When I think about it I realised that I have slept alone, in my own room for the greater part of my life!!! Did so until I got married when I was 23 years old. Shared a normal size double bed with hubbie for the next 25 years.

Then it became impossible, his medical conditions caused me serious disturbance at night - which resulted in my own medical conditions deteriorating.

Horrible few years, with all the children still at home and all bedrooms full, I often used to wander round the house during the early hours carrying my pillow and a spare duvet trying to work out where to sleep. Often meant that I pulled of the cushions on the sofa and armchairs in the Lounge onto the floor and slept there. Had a recurring dream of accidently stumbling across a hidden room!!!!

When any of the children went away on holiday, etc. I would use their beds. Eventually, purchased a cheap sofa bed to go into lounge and used that - not perfect, as it meant it had to be stripped every morning and duvet, pillow, etc folded away in another room.

When marriage finally died, and he left, it was such a relief for me. Had double bed all to myself, and have never looked back. So for past thirty years have slept in my own room. For my 70th birthday I treated myself to an electric bed, which has been a godsend and for my 80th (this year) have treated myself to a silk /wool mix duvet.

flowersfromheaven Wed 17-Mar-21 09:53:40

I sleep with my partner and for years I had to put up with his snoring wake me up it always seemed to be louder if he had a drink but now the tables are turned he as started waking me up to turn on my side saying that l am snoring, he says l sound like a tractor, Well pay back time, I am not bothered because l can't hear it

littleflo Wed 17-Mar-21 10:49:10

I think having separate bedrooms was a life saver for me. As we got older our sleep patterns changed dramatically. I like a warm bed but a cold bedroom. I find sleeping with closed windows intolerable .

As we both snore, many nights were spent with us roughly jabbing each other, to wake up. Only to be followed by humphing and louder snoring .

One of my DH’s worst habits was frequently waking during the night and putting on his iPod. This filled the bedroom with light making me irritable.

I love having my own room, but I don’t really sleep alone. The dog prefers to sleep with me rather than DH. She is very wise.

owotjoy Wed 17-Mar-21 13:44:28

As my husband works on frontline for NHS we followed advice to sleep separately during pandemic. We had (almost) never slept apart for past 35 years and would not have had seriously considered doing so BUT we both, to our surprise, love it!! We both sleep much better and feel relaxed that increased visits to the bathroom has not disturbed our partner blush

Amberone Wed 17-Mar-21 14:29:07

Yes, since I retired and my OH still works.

We used to both get up at 5.00, but now I sleep in some days until 7.00. I tend to wake up a lot in the night so it also means I don't wake him up when he has to go to work.

Wedi Wed 17-Mar-21 14:32:46

We have two electric beds pushed together .
Husband has a firm mattress ; because of my RA I prefer a softer one .
I like back support when I’m reading ; my husband likes to lie flat with his head propped up on pillows .
He goes to bed , usually at 9 pm ; I can stay up til midnight to watch my “twaddle” ( his words , not mine ) on TV .
We have single duvets ; his thicker than mine as I get very hot .
and prefer a lighter duvet .
This situation suits us perfectly and we still have a very loving relationship.

19panda Wed 17-Mar-21 14:38:30

Usually my very elderly cat joins me and taps my face just before the alarm goes of for my early shifts ?

Pebbles101 Wed 17-Mar-21 14:40:30

Do and I sleep in separate rooms - started off doing this when one of us was ill but now all the time for over a year. He sleeps better and does not disturb me when he comes to bed after midnight ( a lot ) so overall better. I am terrible at sleeping still but at least I don’t worry about disturbing his sleep and dot have to move beds any more when I can’t sleep so I think mostly I get more sleep.

maydonoz Wed 17-Mar-21 14:58:50

I always sleep with DH for almost 44 years now, except for the odd occasion when he's on business trips abroad by himself.
Although he's a bit of a snorer, we haven't resorted to separate bedrooms as yet,
a bit of a nudge and a Shh seems to do the trick and he goes quiet until next time.
Generally I get a reasonable night's sleep from 11pm through to 6am, with one or two loo breaks.

Leah50 Wed 17-Mar-21 16:16:51

Separate beds & separate rooms for many years as DH & I have always had entirely different sleep patterns. We luckily have the space & it suits us both.

Manx33S Wed 17-Mar-21 17:23:28

Me and my better half have separate beds in the same bedroom. He gets to sleep usually better than me so I go to bed later meaning that I do not disturb him. When we had a double bed, often would wake up without any covers as they had been yanked over to the other side of the bed.

bobble5366 Wed 17-Mar-21 17:41:15

I sleep with my husband of 33 years, but for the past 20 years seem to wander off down stairs and sleep on our super comfy sofa, on my side, supporting my back, and FREE FROM SNORING. If we go on holiday -I don't have this problem and seem to sleep much better.

PaperMonster Wed 17-Mar-21 18:39:04

I have a nine year old child who sleeps in with me!

BlueSky Wed 17-Mar-21 18:47:10

Oh *Bellasnana! I felt emotional reading your beautiful post. As time goes on, it often crosses my mind that we won’t always have each other. Big hug x flowers

Harris27 Wed 17-Mar-21 18:58:12

I sleep with my husband. I can’t go over to sleep until he comes to bed. I just haven’t slept alone in forty years and that is the whole truth.

Kim19 Wed 17-Mar-21 19:27:08

I'm smiling with bemusement at myself over this topic. D'you know, for all the years I've slept alone, it's never occurred to me to sleep in the middle of the bed. Crazy! I do use either side and I'm thinking it must be the configuration of the four pillows which makes me behave so foolishly rigidly. I do spread myself around the whole of the bed in the course of the night but that was always the case. Funny old world.

Redhead56 Wed 17-Mar-21 19:35:46

This has been an amusing thread it’s made me laugh and it hasn’t turned into a slanging match or should I say pillow fight!

clairewoods137 Wed 17-Mar-21 20:15:29

Yes. My partner has health problems which means he doesn't sleep very well. When our son was younger and I shared a bed with my partner not sleeping very well, I was the one who had to go into work next day. We decided it was best to have separate beds/rooms and it has stayed that way.