What to Do When Your Spouse Has Different Sleeping Habits
Many marriages depend on quality time that can be difficult to maintain as their relationship ages and new challenges are brought into their lives. When you have children, rigorous work schedules, family obligations, and household tasks, you may struggle to carve that intimate time in your routine. This can be made even more difficult if you and your spouse have completely different sleeping habits. When you struggle to overcome the difference in these habits, you may notice a rift in your marriage start to develop over time. These are a few tips that can help you overcome the fact that both you and your spouse have different nighttime habits.
Acknowledge Your Different Needs
The first step to finding a solution is recognizing that you both have different needs. When you try to pretend that the same routine works for both of you, you can end up causing issues from lack of sleep. This can lead to irritability or conflict that can end up doing more damage. When you acknowledge these differences, you are not saying that you do not enjoy spending time together or enjoying each other’s company. You just need to prioritize sleep so you can happily live each day.
Go to Bed or Wake Up Together
If you have the flexibility to go to bed together or wake up together, consider choosing the best option for your lifestyle. This can allow you to still have intimate time together without breaking the sleep patterns that you both need. This can provide you with a sense of comfort and intimacy that will help you strengthen your relationship each morning or night – whichever works best for your schedules.
Make Changes to Your Sleep Environment
When your partner wakes up early, you may be startled awake by their loud alarms. When this occurs each day, it can stall the sleeping patterns and cause you to lose quality sleep, especially if you are a night owl. Make changes to adapt to these needs by incorporating sound machines or different alarms. You may also want to make changes to your mattress if your spouse constantly tosses and turns throughout the night. Any disturbances to your sleep can be adjusted by making some changes to your room.
Sleep in Different Beds
Sometimes the best solution to your different sleeping habits is to sleep in different beds. While this may be difficult for some people to get on board with, it can provide you both the quality sleep you need to power through each day. If you make your sleep a priority, you can adjust your thinking and accept that you and your spouse are better to sleep alone. When you sleep in different rooms, make sure that you carve out time to spend together during the day.
If you and your spouse struggle to find a solution to your difference in sleeping habits, you may want to try one of these solutions. When this causes issues in your marriage, consider working with a therapist to overcome this difficult time. Contact us to hear about our in-home marriage therapy in Orlando today.
