[banana_split]

So was just curious as to what everyone's thoughts are on "sharing the bed" ?

My partner goes away occasionally for work, which means I get the bed all to myself! And I absolutely love it, probably a little too much! I sleep so much better when I'm by myself and wake up feeling energised and ready for the day, where as when I'm sharing, I'm constantly waking throughout the night! Not that I would ever consider sleeping in separate beds, I just take it as one of the positives of him going away! lol

So what is it YOU prefer?

[Hugo-B]

I sleep better in my bed alone, I'm 6.2" so I fill a king size bed up pretty well. I'm also a light sleeper so if I wake up, which I frequently do, I'll wake her up moving and if she keeps moving or waked up to go to toilet I end up waking up and struggling to get back to sleep. I stayed at a girls house Wednesday night, I went to bed about midnight and my alarm woke me up for work at 0630, I couldn't of got more than 4 hours sleep and felt like ****e all day, I need at least 6 hours and ideally 8.

I find it easiest to share in the winter when it's really cold so we can snuggle up and keep each other warm without overheating. In the summer I struggle to well alone, let alone sharing with anyone. I haven't actually shared a bed regularly with anyone for a few years now.

[banana_split]

I too am an extremely light sleeper, and the only thing that's good for is a house fire in the midst of the night. lol which I'm glad I havn't experienced nor do I ever want to! I'm extremely envious of people that can sleep through anything and everything!
I function fairly well on 6 hours sleep, but rarely do I ever get it!
I have my air con set at a nice 20 degree Celsius all year round, I don't get much of a winter where Im living!

[Little]

For at least half the night, I share my (full-sized, boo hoo hoo) bed with not just my super-tall but skinny as a stick hubby, but a twisty, turny, doesn't-like-to-share-the-covers toddler. I like to snuggle the baby sometimes, but I'm glad he's only in the bed half the night. Sometimes I like to snuggle my hubby ...and sometimes I don't. He has to work overnight shifts sometimes, and I do enjoy being able to stretch out on the bed and have a lot of space, but I'd rather have him be home.

We absolutely do NOT share covers, though. He has a blanket, and I have a blanket. It's our secret to a good marriage. We used to share covers when we were first living together, and it was a nightmare. We are blanket hogs.

[jns]

Sharing a bed is a compromise. Each person wants what they want. I would say get a large bed, the larger the better. Get a mattress that doesn't jiggle the other person when one person gets out of bed to go to the bathroom at night. Make sure there is access around the bed to get out from both sides. What Little said about separate blankets sounds like great advice, even if the bed doesn't make it into a fashion show. Maybe two beds that are tight against each other so there is no crack would work. A good compromise sets the stage for future compromises and strengthens a relationship.

If you read enough posts here or elsewhere, sleeping on separate beds and especially in separate rooms, can be the death knell of some of the intimacy of the relationship. There are many reasons that this would be done, snoring may be the first amongst them. The result is a strain on the relationship.

Probably people are less used to sleeping next to others than they were in the past. Single child families and being able to afford separate rooms for the children probably account for this. Other parts of the world may not have this problem. From traveling to and having relatives in Southeast Asia, I know that families there often sleep close together. So much so, I wonder how they end up having kids after the first ones. It is useful during the winter when an unheated house can be fairy cold in many places.

[DreamP346]

My husband is the only person I enjoy sharing a bed with. Before him, I was never comfortable sharing a bed. Either with a family, friend or lover. When one of the kids get into bed, I can't sleep well. But I love cuddling with my hubby and usually sleep really well. When he is not there, I still sleep really well.

[Element]

I'm use to hearing someone else breathing, knowing that there is someone else there in the room and where they are. So when my boyfriend is in bed with me, it just feels normal. Plus I like to curl up to him or just touch him; like resting my arm by his side so I can feel him. I'm a touchy person, sue me.

I am able to sleep alone, but as soon as the door knob turns, I wake up. So if he falls asleep with me, there's nothing to wake me up.

[rcoreyus]

My wife and I sleep in separate rooms so that we don't wake each other up (both have insomnia). She is always welcome to visit during the night though....

[Stillness]

We sleep together. I hadn't even considered another way. We know people with separate rooms and have always viewed it as odd and as a sign of lack of intimacy. We couldn't understand it. We just guessed they weren't close. Then a little while back we were listening to NPR and heard that something like 1/4 of couples have separate bedrooms?! A lot of these people actually feel like they're better off because of it. It opened my eyes. Sometimes you think things are a certain way because it's all you know.

Recently we have done the separate cover thing. It has to do with something my wife calls a "cover thief." I quietly wear away at that practice as quietly as she introduced it by putting my cover over her and sneaking under hers. It's a war of wills.

Great topic.

[LanaBear]

We share beds, but generally have our own covers. Share the sheet, but I have more and separate blankets because I'm always cold and he's not.

It is always a nice reprieve when I get the bed to myself every once in a while.