Sleep disorders affect your ability to achieve restful sleep and function well during the day.
Common side effects such as snoring, restlessness, and movement during sleep may also affect the sleep of those around you.
It’s important to discuss your symptoms and possible solutions with your partner and your doctor to minimize the impact of a sleep disorder on your relationship.
Sleep and Your Partner
When you sleep with a partner, your quality of sleep can affect that of your bedmate. Sleep disorders cause you to have trouble falling or staying asleep, and this may impact your partner’s ability to sleep as well.
Snoring, gasping, tossing and turning, and nightmares can all awaken or disturb both yourself and your partner during the night.
Effects of Too Little Sleep
A lack of quality sleep negatively impacts your daytime relationship. The longer it takes to fall asleep, the more likely you are to experience negative interactions with your partner the following day. Feelings of irritability increase after a night of poor sleep.
Consistently poor sleep may lead to depression and anxiety, which can also take a toll on your relationship.
Differences Between Women and Men
Women who take longer to fall asleep are more likely to report negative interactions with their partner than men.
While there is no recorded link between a man’s sleep quality and his perceived interactions with his partner, men who experience negative reactions during the day require more sleep the following night.
This may be difficult to achieve if their partner is restless, causing a cycle of negative interactions and poor sleep to persist.
Coping
Relationships can be strained if one or both partners is not getting enough sleep, and this is exaggerated when one partner keeps the other awake because of a sleep disorder.
Fortunately, there are a handful of strategies that couples can use to help their situation. Here is how couples can cope when one partner has a sleep disorder.
Separate Bedrooms
One solution that helps couples cope with a sleep disorder is having separate bedrooms. This may be difficult for some couples, but it is an effective solution.
Having separate bedrooms allows the partner without the disorder to sleep throughout the night without being bothered by the other person’s sleep disorder, and can help the affected partner overcome the sleep disorder’s symptoms.
Many couples are happy with this solution, as they can spend time together throughout the day and then retire to their own rooms comfortably.
Positioning
Changing your sleeping position can be an effective solution for some sleep disorders, especially snoring and sleep apnea.
If your partner only snores while lying on his or her back, he or she can be trained to sleep in a new position. This can be done by propping your partner with pillows or rolling him or her over yourself.
Remind your partner to try to avoid late night snacks and alcohol in order to reduce snoring.
CPAP Machines
A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine can replace your partner’s loud snoring with a gentle hum.
If you are still kept awake by the hum of your partner’s CPAP machine, there are simple solutions. You can use an extension cord or order a longer cable that allows you to set the machine away from your sleeping area, or you can even build a soundproof casing.
If you or your partner has a sleep disorder, contact Zeeba Sleep Center. We are one of the few accredited sleep disorder facilities in the Las Vegas area and we treat a host of disorders. For more information about our services, feel free to visit our website or give us a call at (866) 233-2181.
At Zeeba Sleep Center, we understand the effect that a sleep disorder can have on your life and your relationship. Our accredited Las Vegas sleep disorder facility is here to help you find the solution that is right for your needs as well as those of your partner.
Contact us by phone at (702) 242-1562 or click on our website for more information about sleep disorders and your treatment options.
