Love and sleep isn't a simple match.
Let's talk about sleep problems that can disrupt a relationship,
and how to cope.
Right, who wants to come into bed with me?
First up, conflicting sleeping patterns.
- So you're an early bird. - Definitely an early bird.
- You're the night owl. - Yeah.
- I wake up every day at six. - Six?!
I'm awake, and then I'm just watching you
sleep for another two hours. - Yeah.
It's frustrating, because really I think
my brain is at its best
at night-time.
We can blame our genes here
in part for our differences.
We all have a unique body clock type
that tells us when to get up and when to go to bed.
So late risers might be genuinely tired in the morning,
not lazy.
Talking about your sleep patterns,
does that help you understand each other more?
In the morning now, I know that
the earliest I can wake him up
without him being grumpy is around eight o'clock.
So I usually schedule two hours of activity for myself,
then I'll nudge him at eight o'clock sharp!
Now to find couples facing another well-known sleep disturbance.
Snoring can have many causes.
You can inherit it from your parents,
but also, smoking, drinking, being overweight
or having a cold could be a factor.
Yay! I've got friends! (SQUEALING AND LAUGHTER)
- Have you ever heard him snore?
- On the sofa.
- What's it like?
- Like a pig!
(LAUGHTER)
So when she snores, is there anything you want to do?
Poke her or prod her or something to
shut her up.
Then as soon as I'm about to do it,
it completely stops.
- I've just read his mind. - Magic!
Yeah!
As you sleep, your body relaxes,
loses muscle tone and your airway tissues can vibrate.
This snoring sound can reach 100 decibels
- as loud as a pneumatic drill.
There may be one positive here.
The other half of a snorer may be the only person
able to hear an underlying condition
called sleep apnoea.
If the person stops suddenly snoring
and stops breathing repeatedly,
it might be a good time to go see a doctor.
And how does more extreme sleep behaviour affect a relationship?
I tend to, like, reorganise the bedroom and things.
Other times I've woken up with skinned knees.
I don't know what I've been doing!
Pottering about the house, mostly!
Sleepwalking happens when you only partially wake up from a deep sleep.
And your brain is still able to do automatic tasks.
How do you partners feel about you sleepwalking?
Because I don't do it all the time,
it's just a fun surprise if it does happen.
Then I'm like, "Oh, yeah.
By the way, I do that sometimes."
Freak people out a little bit!
For most of those who sleepwalk, it happens occasionally when they're over-tired,
but there aren't any serious underlying issues.
Silent sleep troubles can be just as disruptive.
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep problems in the UK.
One in three people suffer from it.
I wonder how it affects their relationships.
For people with insomnia,
getting to sleep can be a complicated ritual.
I have to wear an eye cover, earplugs,
a nasal strip so I can breathe.
I have white noise on as well.
Blackout blinds.
Two different duvets.
I have a pillow that I can cuddle
and food and water by my bed in case I get hungry in the night.
Just trying to stop everything that will wake me up, you know?
Though it seems counter-intuitive,
doctors do advise getting up to do something else
and returning to bed when you feel sleepy
instead of just lying there.
Does this affect your relationships at all?
What relationships?! Yeah.
I've never got that far with anyone because
they don't want to put up with it.
You may not always find the perfect partner in both love and sleep.
But it's really important to talk about your night-time habits.
And what about me?
Fortunately, my current boyfriend and I have very similar sleeping schedules,
although we may still sleep in separate beds sometimes
just to get a really good night's sleep.
Good sleep equals good relationship.
Now, if you all be quiet, please!