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You've had a long day of chasing after the kids, deadlines, and laundry. All you can think of is getting to bed and sleeping away the memories of a hectic day. You're just about to enter the restfulness of slumber when you're startled back into reality by the buzz-saw noises coming from your spouse - the snoring begins and rest in nowhere in sight. The morning comes too quickly after a rather sleepless night. You begin your day exhausted and go through it feeling drowsy.
"Women are probably the most sleep-deprived creatures on earth," writes Joyce Walsleben, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York University School of Medicine and the 1998 spokesperson for the National Sleep Foundation's Survey on Women and Sleep. In her book, A Woman's Guide To Sleep, Dr. Walsleben offers several common sense suggestions for ensuring a good night's sleep.
Go to bed at the same time. Walsleben offers that although it may be difficult to hit the sack at the same time as your spouse doing so can mean fewer disruptions during the important moments when your body is trying to enter its most restful sleep stage known as slow-wave sleep. Reading by night light and late-night TV should be kept out of the bedroom.
Wake up at the same time. You'll be more likely to agree on when to call it a day, says Walsleben. She continues that if you can't synchronize your sleep schedules, you should at least try to keep extra activity away from the bedroom. For example, if he's trying to sleep while you're getting ready in the morning - get ready for work in a bathroom down the hall.
Put an end to snoring. According to studies, as many as 40 percent of all men snore. Since studies show that severe snoring can be linked to high blood pressure and headaches, make sure your husband gets a checkup with his Urge him not to sleep on his back, which can compress the airways and increase snoring. If your persuasion doesn't work, some simple devices may help such as an orthopedic pillow, for example, encourage proper sleeping positions by keeping the neck in line with the spine. But be careful not to pile too many pillows on the bed so you don't cause neck and shoulder pain.
Remember that size matters. Walsleben suggests that couples should sleep on at least a queen-size mattress for free, easy movement. If you're tall or have a tendency to sprawl, you may appreciate the extra space of a king bed. When shopping for a bed, the Better Sleep Council recommends shopping for your mattress together and don't be afraid to lie right down together and test it out.
Don't be afraid to sleep alone. Sleeping in separate beds may seem like a marital mistake, however, Walsleben says, "Not so," and often prescribes this for her patients. "It's not a bad thing, as long as you make time for intimacy," she says. "With a good night's sleep, you'll have more energy and less stress, which may make you more loving toward your partner."
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