Top Ten Tips for Sleeping Peacefully with Your Valentine!

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the wilderness of the singles scene, and you won’t be sleeping alone this Valentine’s Day! You’ve braved the bar scene, swiped right or gone out with that nice guy or gal your family’s been dying for you to meet, and now you’ll be hitting the pillow with somebody else! Good for you! So now that you’re no longer in the candy and flowers club, it should be clear sailing from here, right? Well not so fast, Romeo and Juliet! Because once you’ve gotten the fun part of sharing a bed out of the way, you still have to get to sleep. We all know that sleep is important for everybody, whether lover or singleton. But with two confident individuals sharing the same space, there’s bound to be some challenges. Some folks sleep heavy; some light. Some thrash around in the bed; some curl up into the fetal position. And even if you’ve got the absolute best mattress it could take some strategizing for you both to get the best sleep you need to resume your busy lives outside the glow of love. Luckily for you, we’ve got some ideas on how to sleep well whether you’re with a new Valentine or been shacking up for some time now. So let’s take a look at how to get better sleep when you’re not sleeping alone this Valentine’s Day! How to Sleep Comfortably With Your Valentine So here’s the good news: despite prior mixed messages about who benefits more, the most recent science suggests that sleeping with another person can be very good for your health, no matter what. If you want to get technical, here’s the skinny:

• Sleeping with another person may lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone
• Sharing your bed reduces cytokines, and thus inflammation
• Cuddling as a couples boosts oxytocin, “the love hormone”

And over the course of one sleep study, it was found that women whose relationship status changed felt less psychologically secure than those who remained sleeping with the same partner the whole time. So no matter how you slice it, people are better off not sleeping alone. Now how can we do that successfully? Here are ten different ways to sleep well with your Valentine all year round! Wear The Right Clothing… Or No Clothing at All! See here’s the thing: everybody sleeps differently. So if you’re merging two sleep patterns, or in this case, two sleeping bodies, they need to work together well. If you wear PJ’s that scratch up your significant other, that’s going to be no fun. And if they’re trying to get cozy and you’re in layers of clothing, that may send the wrong message. What to do? We suggest two options: 1 – Silk or 2 – Nothing. The reason for wearing silk to bed should be obvious – silk is smooth and feels nice against your skin – that’s why people make sheets out of it. Rubbing against a person in silk is pleasurable in and of itself, so that works. If you want to take it to the next level though, sleep in the nude. Together. A study by Cotton USA (no joke) found that more than half of couples who sleep in the nude reported happier relationships. So rather than buy expensive silk, go au natural for your best sleep – and relationship – results. (Just warn your partner that you’re sleeping naked before you do it!) Find the Right Sleep Position Obviously, with two people sleeping in the bed rather than one, coordination can be a little tricky. The key is to find a position that works for you, and then find a complementary position that works for you both. Though it may seem like a game of Twister at times, there is an answer that works for the two of you, which may be different from what works for you alone. Hit that sweet spot, and you’ll be snoozing simpatico in no time! Negotiate Cuddling Just as communication is important in any good relationship, it’s vitally important when it comes to sleeping together too. Again, people are different – while some may prefer snuggling close to their partner as they sleep, others may think of their unconscious time as strictly a solo gig. Hopefully by the time you’re sleeping with your Valentine you’ll know what they like, but if not, talk about it! Figure out what their boundaries are, and if they don’t match yours, see if you can work out a compromise of some sort. Perhaps you could get ideas from others about when and where cuddling might be appropriate. Perhaps you could save it for the couch while watching a movie, and leave it out of your bedroom altogether. Maybe you could even (gasp!) learn to go without. Whatever the case may be, these are the little things that could make or break a relationship, so if you’d like to be sleeping with somebody next Valentine’s Day, work it out with your Valentine now by talking. Stop the Snoring What most new couples will learn almost immediately once they hit the sheets together is whether their partner snores, talks in their sleep, or sleepwalks. We’ll deal with movement shortly, but as far as snoring goes, here are some quick tips for sleeping with someone that snores:

• Roll them over – some people only snore on their back
• Drown them out – a “white noise” device, like a fan or white noise machine can cancel out the sound. This works well if your partner has noisy neighbors too.
• Use nasal strips – sometimes just opening the air passageway can eliminate the sound
• Change the pillows – old pillows may contain dust mites that cause an allergic reaction that results in snoring. Make sure your pillows aren’t more than six months old.
• Avoid alcohol or sedatives before bed – alcohol reduces the resting tone of the muscles in the back of your throat, making you snore if you don’t already and snore more if you do
• Lose weight – hard to suggest if you’re a new couple, but if you’re the snorer, do your partner a favor. Lose the weight and stop snoring.

Separate Blankets, Not Beds A common complaint among couples that cohabitate is that one of you hogs the covers. Like all of these issues, it’s a problem based on your individuality, and though small, can ruin a relationship. Sometimes it gets so bad that couples start sleeping in separate beds, which may not mean the end of a relationship, but is definitely a reduction in regular physical intimacy. Moreover, some people make take it as a sign that things are bad, regardless of whether they actually are. This too could put strain on a relationship. Should something this small end it all? If you see separating beds as a last resort, but are tired of fighting and waking up freezing, why not just get two blankets? As long as each of you know which is yours and grabs it when you hit the hay, it’s one less thing to fight over. You can enjoy all of the benefits of sleeping together and keep the peace. Simple as that. Leave Lights Out Two people coming together means a lot of changes. A person living in a quiet rural area may end up in a louder, more urban one. A person who sleeps in absolute darkness may end up with someone who prefers sleeping with a nite-lite. And these days, everybody has a phone. That’s why, when joining with the sleeping habits of another person, experts recommend eliminating the light. If your partner prefers a little light where you don’t, invest in a sleeping mask. Guys, if your Valentine is the only person seeing you, it’s worth a little embarrassment. You both should also turn off your phones so you can forget about the day and just get your best sleep. And if you have an LED alarm clock, keep it far out of sight while you’re sleeping, so that its light can’t disturb you. It will also force you to physically get up and shut it off in the morning, rather than just hitting the snooze button and ruining your sleep schedule. Speaking of which… Resolve Scheduling Conflicts The essence of this problem is noise and movement. Because the two of you have conflicting times to and up from bed, you can easily disturb each other’s sleep. So with two parts to this problem, we offer you two solutions: 1) Sleeping at the same time and 2) a gel-infused memory foam online mattress from Lull. If you’re able to sync up your sleep schedules, you’ll not only get to bed together, but will essentially get up at the same time too. This can promote unity and closeness. Though one person may sleep sooner than their usual and one wake up earlier, it’s worth it if it helps solidify the relationship. If this option works for you, knock yourselves out. At the same time, we mean. An easier option is to get the best bed. Why? Because Lull’s high quality mattress has three layers of memory foam which together create a virtual shock absorber. This allows both of you to slip in and out of the bed with barely a notice if you keep quiet. A white noise source can handle that, while the 1.5” transition layer provides motion transfer, which keeps you asleep while your partner isn’t. No noise, no disturbance, no problem! Keep it From Getting Hot in Here Since we’re already talking about Lull’s mattress, we might as well explain how it helps with temperature too. Because you see, Lull’s premium mattress also transfer heat away from your body when it’s warm, dispersing it throughout the mattress. This always keeps your bed at about 69 degrees, the scientifically proven ideal temperature for sleep. No matter who you sleep with, a Lull mattress will make sure you always feel just right. Use Sound Sleep Strategies As we’ve said before, it’s always about the little things, and again, being a couple is about two becoming one, not one person dictating what you both do. Being a couple only works if you both keep doing the basics that help anybody get their best sleep. This means still wearing socks, drinking warm milk or taking a shower before bed if that’s you. Couple or single, the classics always work. Valentine or no. Remember That Size Does Matter There’s a reason why Lull sells mattresses in six different sizes: size matters. If you’ve been sleeping in a twin or a full mattress throughout your singlehood, that may not work when you’re with someone else. To find the right size mattress, make sure you consider how much you and your partner move around in bed – more movement means larger. Also consider how big each of you are – is one larger than the other? That means one size. Are you both large or small? That could mean a different one. How about old or young? All these things determine what’s comfortable for you both, so choose wisely. Again, with six different size options of boxed mattresses that set up easily, we’re confident you can’t go wrong with Lull. And because it accounts for both temperature and movement, we know you’ll both sleep together for many years to come. Hey, that’s why we offer a ten year guarantee. At the end of the day, Valentine’s Day represents an opportunity for two individuals to become one couple. As you can see, while that’s easier said than done, it’s so worth it. With health, financial, and social benefits, a bed for two is a blessing, not a curse. For those of you who haven’t found that perfect person to sleep with, we wish you all the best. For those of you that have, we wish you many comfortable nights sleeping with your Valentine. Sleep well!