Why Some People Can’t Stand Sharing A Bed

Bodies are hot — and for some people, that can be a real problem. "Many people have a particular need for sleeping cooler than others," clinical psychologist and sleep doctor Michael Breus, Ph.D., tells Bustle. "In general, we know that a cooler environment will be better for falling and staying asleep. Having a person whose body temperature is 98.6 degrees next to you, or worse, touching you, will cause a potential disruption." You can flip to the cool side of the pillow as much as you want, but their body is still going to work like a furnace.

You might have always slept like a rock, but if your partner tends toward insomnia, their difficulty snoozing might rub off on you. "A 2017 study found that when couples share a bed, they are more likely to share similar sleep patterns," says Martin Reed, a certified clinical sleep health expert. "So, if your partner struggles with sleep, you are more likely to struggle with sleep, too." In other words, your anxiety about sleeping next to someone might come from their anxiety about sleeping in general.

Have trouble falling asleep next to your partner? Your different circadian rhythms — or body clocks — may be the culprit. "Another thing that can make sleeping with a partner difficult is going to bed at different times," says Chris Brantner, a sleep expert and founder of mattress review company SleepZoo. "On average, couples stop going to bed at the same time around three years or so into the relationship. In fact, 75% of couples don't go to bed together. That time when you fall asleep together is crucial for intimacy. In fact, research shows that couples whose sleep patterns are mismatched report more disagreement, less serious conversation, and less sex — all of which can affect sleep quality."

It can also be tricky to go to bed at different times without waking up your partner. "And not only that, when you go to bed after your partner, you're likely to disturb their sleep by making noise, turning on lights, etc," Brantner says. "And getting into bed can disturb them as you move around to get settled."

Even if you and your partner love sharing a bed, if it’s a new sleeping arrangement, it may be causing you a type of stress. "Your bed partner is causing you to feel stressed," Els van der Helm, Ph.D., the founder of sleep coach app Shleep, tells Bustle. "If it's a 'new' bed partner, maybe you're worried about things and hence stressed. Or perhaps you're in a new environment (sleeping at your partner's place, not your own), which could be causing stress."

This stress can put your body on high alert. "Why is stress so bad for sleep?" van der Helm says. "Your brain is quite 'old', in that it still interprets stress as you being in physical danger (as opposed to 'just being stressed about work'). Whenever your brain suspects physical danger (so whenever you experience any stress) it will de-prioritize sleep. Instead, it wants you to be physically safe. Therefore, it'll keep you awake or prevent you from getting into deep restorative sleep." Until your brain understands that it's a safe sleeping arrangement, it may be keeping you awake.

You might not have heard of mattress motion transfer, but it could be keeping you up. "Perhaps the biggest reason is that you don't have the right mattress," Brantner says. "Motion transfer is a big thing here, as the wrong bed will let you feel every time your partner moves, which can wake you if you're a light sleeper." Having incompatible sleeping positions can also make it difficult to drift off or stay asleep.

Your partner probably makes noises, whether they're big or small, and those can keep you awake. "Your bed partner is simply making noises, noises you're not used to and this might cause you to wake up," van der Helm says. Though snoring can definitely keep you awake, it can also just be the shuffling or breathing noises that they make.

It's no surprise that electronics can mess with your sleep — but now you have someone else's phone and electronic use to worry about. "Lights and electronics can be problematic if partners are on a different schedule," says Ginger Houghton, L.M.S.W., C.A.A.D.C., owner of Bright Spot Counseling. "As electronics and light exposure make it more difficult to sleep, it’s important that couples have a buffer zone around bedtime to be respectful of each other’s sleep habits." You might want to move those phones out of the bedroom.