Partners and family
Nothing could be better than cosying up in bed together. However, is sleeping togetheralways a good thing? It is evident that men sleep better with someone else asit helps them to feel safe. On the other hand, women find it easier to relaxand recharge if they sleep alone. They wake up more easily, even at theslightest noise. It is therefore important to come to a mutual agreement whenit comes to sleeping arrangements – with a second bed for the person who doesnot sleep as well. The quality of a relationship is not measured in terms ofwhether the couple always sleeps in the same bed.
During the evening, many people like to talk through their day in peace and quiet withtheir partners. However, it is not a good idea to discuss issues in bed thatwill cause you to ruminate, otherwise it will make it difficult to go to sleepand the worries may wake you up during the night. Write any troublesomethoughts down in order to clear your head.
Sleep becomes especially challenging when children arrive on the scene – youngparents suffer from acute sleep deprivation. It is also wise to establish goodroutines as early on as possible so that the children can get attuned to goingto bed. A fixed time for the evening meal and going to bed, frequent singing,cuddling and reading together help children to settle down ready for sleep. Childrenwho are over-tired find it harder to get to sleep and too much stimulation caneasily be overwhelming. Children often wake up during the night because theyare seeking reassurance from their nearest and dearest or because they have hada bad dream. The best approach is to gently and quietly comfort them so theycan quickly fall back to sleep.