Is sleeping in the same bed as your partner at night the best thing for healthy sleep?

We know the benefits of a night's sleep include being in a better mood, less stress, more focus and productivity, more energy, reduced risks of illness and disease, reparation of the body cells, creation and retention of memories and information learnt, and better relationships.

However, what if your partner is (unintentionally) preventing you from getting the best possible sleep?

Are you maybe sometimes feeling resentful, begrudging, frustrated, ratty, irritable, annoyed, lethargic, achy, tired, or unrefreshed when you get up in the mornings?

There are lots of issues created by sleeping next to someone that can affect your quality and quantity of sleep, but also things you can do about them.

If you have a number of bedrooms in the home, then you may consider sleeping in separate rooms and setting up the perfect sleep environment for each of you individually. If your home only has the one bedroom, your options are going to be different to those who have more rooms.

Although the majority of people will have a double, the optimal or ideal space for two people sleeping in the same bed is a super king size. Not many people have these, even though they allow each person the required amount of space for comfortable sleeping. If you're lucky enough to have the space and money for a super king – excellent – invest in one straight away if you're going to sleep together. Otherwise, there are other things you might want to consider if you're using a queen, double, or king.

It's useful to know your chronotype – are you a morning lark (morning person) or a night owl (evening person)? Depending on which of these fits you best, will determine when you need to sleep. A morning lark will usually go to bed early and get up early, whereas a night owl will stay up late and get up later in the morning. Unless you have the same chronotype as your partner, going to bed at the same time might not be working for you. Think about whether you may need to have different sleep routines and work out what times you each need to go to bed and get up at. The other partner could always use the time difference to do jobs or activities they can do better whilst having the alone time. Just take care not to disturb the other person too much when you get into or out of bed, and you’ll get used to it pretty quickly.

Do you both feel comfortable on the same type of mattress? We shouldn’t compromise if we’re going to find our best sleep position. Therefore, it can be better to have two single mattresses put together. This way both partners get the most comfortable position.

The same thing applies to bedcovers. We all create body heat, and whilst it’s nice to snuggle up together, sometimes we can end up getting too hot or too cold during the night. Having separate covers means you can ensure you have the right thickness of duvet and/or blankets for you.

Major disruptions can arise out of noise and movement. Is your partner snoring, talking, grinding their teeth in their sleep? They probably won’t know they do this, so it’s very useful to point it out to them and encourage them to get help to sort it out for their own health benefits. If it’s disturbing you in the meantime, consider using white noise to cover it up or use earplugs.

Getting up during the night, turning over, dreams or restless legs can all be examples of how movement can disrupt you. Again, it’s important to get medical help for any of the sleep disorders. Going back to using the correct mattress could potentially stop the amount of movement – if you are more comfortable you are more likely to relax and wake up or move around.

By thinking about some of these things and ensuring you consider the best options for both partners, sometimes sleeping apart or implementing certain basic changes can help you respect each other more, want to spend more time together and enjoy each other's company more, whilst also being healthier.

In conclusion - it's a personal choice. You should do what works best for you and supports the best relationship with both partners able to feel fully rested and healthy.