Monmouth's Ask the Doctor July/August

The Scandinavian Sleep Method

As much as you love your partner, sometimes it’s not always smooth sailing when it comes to a good night’s sleep. If their presence in your bed is causing you to lose sleep, whether it be con stant snoring, constant movement, or other un conscious inflictions, sometimes sleep disruption leads couples to get a sleep divorce sending one to the stillness of an empty bedroom or even a nearby couch. If things haven’t gotten that disas trous yet, there are other changes you can make to try to improve your sleep situation. One such solution is the technique known as the Scandina vian sleep method. The Scandinavian sleep method is simply the practice of using two separate duvets or blankets instead of one queen or king size one. And if you want to be truly Scandinavian, you’ll want to re linquish your top sheet as well. The Scandinavian sleep method earned its name because the practice is fairly common in the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Nor way, and Sweden, but it’s also done in other parts of Europe, like Iceland and Germany. If you come from a single-duvet country, like the United States, this may seem like a strange practice, but it could be the key to finally getting a good night’s sleep.

A S W E A G E

People who cocoon themselves in their blankets and leave the other to freeze all night with nothing to cover themselves, or those who have body temperatures that emanate heat like a hot radiator, or the opposite, having cold feet, can benefit from this method. The double-duvet system seems like the perfect solution to these issues and involves two twin-sized duvets. Making your bed with two duvets instead of one may seem confusing, but it’s actually pretty simple. First you must remove the flat sheet from your bed. Then take two twin size duvets and lay one on each side of the bed. Take the first blanket and lay it a little more than halfway across the bed. You don’t want half your blanket hanging over the edge of the bed. Then repeat with the second blanket so that they overlap. Essentially, you’re still sharing the same bed but what you do under your covers is your business. Pros of the Scandinavian Sleep Method- cocooning in your blanket. If you love to wrap yourself up in your blanket, you don’t have to worry about someone yanking away your covers to share the blanket. No blanket stealing in the middle of the night. No feeling like you’re lying by a fireplace if your partner is emitting excessive body heat. Cons for the Scandinavian sleep method, not having a top sheet. As people are creatures of habit, getting used to no top sheet could be tricky but there is an easy fix, just add one. If you are fighting to get to sleep and still want to share a bed, give the two blanket system a try. You don’t lose any of the coziness of sharing a bed, but it allows you to prioritize your own comfort and sleep without detracting from your partner’s sleep.

ASK THE DOCTOR

SUMMER 2022

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