If you have slept with your Significant Other, you know the drill: you get in bed, do some activities (whether it’s reading or some light cardio), cuddle for some minutes, and then drift off to sleep… until you wake up in the middle of the night freezing your butt off, and your SO has wrapped themselves with your duvet to become a giant, toasty burrito.
Love might be blind, but systematically freezing each night because your partner subsconsciously becomes too possessive of your means of production—or in this case, means of sleep—can erode your romantic feelings pretty quickly. Which is way in Scandinavian countries, going to bed has an “every man to his trade” approach. I.e., each person has their own down duvet.
Yes, the bedroom no longer looks Pinterest worthy with two single duvets on a double bed, but hear us out.
Two duvets, one bed
Most studies on how couples sleep look at the big picture things instead. They look at things like the setting—if the room is safe, quiet, or dark—along with temperature and habits, instead of asking if the pair shares a duvet.
Since there aren’t really studies comparing the “two blankets versus one” approach, it’s tough to say if the Scandinavian method is officially backed by science. That said, the idea fits well with a lot of standard advice for getting a good night’s rest.
It makes sense to think this could cut down on the disruptions that happen when you have to share a cover with someone else. Apart from that, haven’t you noticed that in each couple, one likes to pile on blankets, while the other seems to be a human space heater even in the dead of winter? Each person is different, and the type of bedding you prefer at night is going to be different from you SO’s. This way, each person needs get net without having to compromise.
Too hot, too cold
Your internal body clock controls the daily ups and downs of your core temperature, which cools down once you fall asleep. Plus, the material of your bedding can change how well you sleep by impacting your skin and body heat.
For example, different types of fibers can change how fast you drift off or how much deep sleep you actually get. Covers that are too warm and raise your temperature can also mess with your rest. However, your body heat patterns at night change depending on how old you are, your build, your hormones, and even if you prefer mornings or late nights.
These factors decide if you run hot or cold at night, which explains why you might need different covers than your partner. People who run hot usually like light, airy fabrics, while those who get cold lean toward heavy, cozy stuff that holds the warmth in.
Playing foot peekabo with the monster under the bed
When a man and a woman share a bed, differences in how their bodies handle heat at night often mean one is shivering while the other is sweating under the same sheet. A woman’s hands and feet are often cooler to the touch since her body focuses on keeping the vital organs warm first.
This explains why women often want to tuck their limbs under the duvet, while their male partners are perfectly happy sticking theirs out.
Also, women tend to hit their lowest body temperature point sooner in the night than men do. As women get older and start menopause, they can suffer from hot flashes and night sweats that frequently ruin their sleep. These variations in how we control heat mean men and women rarely agree on the perfect temperature for sleeping.
For couples who aren’t getting good rest because of mismatched needs—like stealing the sheets, wanting different temperatures, moving around too much, or keeping different schedules—the Scandinavian sleep method seems like a sensible and budget-friendly fix.
So give it a go, and start with two affordable single duvets. Who knows, maybe you will enter a second honeymoon phase once you are no longer fighting for the blanket at night!