Expert explains why you should try the Scandinavian method to help you sleep better
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@ericastolmandowdy
A sleep hack popular in parts of Europe can apparently guarantee a good night's sleep and stop you from falling out with your partner.
Getting the right amount of shut-eye each night is an incredibly important yet increasingly difficult task.
Too little sleep can make us anxious, irritated, and negatively impact our physical health.
One doctor warned getting as little as five hours of sleep a night can lead us to an early grave.
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Adults should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, but many aspects can impact our slumber quality.
Sharing the bed with a partner is one of them, but a Scandinavian sleeping method which went viral on TikTok could actually be a life-changer.
The method is simple yet effective, with plenty of Europeans - namely those in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark - swearing by the practice.
It involves each person having a separate duvet while sharing the same bed. It's a great alternative to sleep divorce, where couples bunk up in different beds.
Behavioral sleep medicine specialist Ellen Wermter told CBS News of the Scandinavian sleep method: "You could do your cuddling and still use this method. If people don't want to take as extreme a step as separate beds or separate rooms, this can give you a little bit of separateness and individualization with still being within arm's reach of each other and feeling the comfort of having a bed partner close by."
There are science-backed benefits to sharing a bed, too, so don't go demoting your partner to the couch just yet.
Co-sleeping can increase time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, 'which is important for mental health as well as processing memories and developing social skills,' the Sleep Foundation explains.
Bed sharing, meanwhile, can release oxytocin, which is 'linked to improved emotional regulation, lower stress levels, and better well-being.'
There are a number of benefits to the Scandinavian sleep method, including better temperature regulation.
James Wilson, a self-professed Sleep Geek, told The Mirror: "If you’re a hot sleeper, laying next to someone, they’re coming into your side of the bed, that makes you hot.”
He added that women are even more sensitive to heat, especially the week before menstruation when they experience a spike in core temperature.
In a similar vein, Wermter pointed out: "[With] height differences between people, you can get this sort of airflow that's coming in that's cold and disruptive."
Having your own duvet means your temperature will be more regulated, so you'll be less likely to be disrupted, hence getting better quality sleep.
If your partner needs to take bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, then having a separate duvet means you've got less chance of being disrupted. The same goes for couples with different sleep schedules, especially shift workers or those who prefer an early night.
It also puts a stop to cover hogging, which is straight-up annoying.
Better quality sleep has a positive knock-on effect on the rest of your life. It means you're more likely to make healthier food choices, have energy to exercise and helps keep your immune system strong, Davis Health explains.
The method could be responsible for saving relationships as well as sleep.