Sleep is one of the fundamentals of life. It’s what helps us function during the day. What gives us energy and sharpens our cognitive abilities. Sleep helps us grow, to heal, to improve our memories, and our brain. It relieves us from stress and strengthens our hearts. Sleep is one of those things we take for granted. We stay up too late on our phones and wake up too early for work. The internal clock of our bodies is easily interrupted. Taking a thirty-minute nap in the middle of the day is enough to set you back dearly. But sleeping is one of the best- and most beneficial for your health- activities one can do. 

And it’s even better with a partner. 

We carry around a lot of stress and worry during our days. Our shoulders often are heavy with all the things we have to take care of, all the errands to cross off our lists. Being around our partner, however, has the ability to melt all of that off. When you’re in love, your brain chemically changes. It releases oxytocin- nicknamed the ‘love hormone’, which in turn decreases anxiety and calms the nervous system. Your person is like a safety blanket; just their presence is akin to a deep breath. 

They become a sort of buffer against high adrenaline and cortisol levels, which are the body’s main stress indicators. Physical touch, when from your partner, is also known to prevent those, and similar, chemicals from being released in your brain. But this happens when you are awake and conscious. Sleeping is a different ball game. 

Is sleeping with your partner better than sleeping alone? Are there health benefits to cuddling? We view sleepovers in a relationship as a progressive step towards intimacy. It’s just something that happens when you start dating. But are there genuine health benefits to sharing the covers with your loved one?

Counting Sheep

When you sleep, your body naturally lowers its cortisol and stress levels, allowing you to relax and get your rest. However, once you include your significant other, it’s as if the process gets ten times faster. Cuddling and sleeping with your partner has multiple benefits. Aside from your stress levels, your depression levels are notably lower. Entering REM sleep occurs faster than if you were on your own. You feel a deeper sense of relaxation and safety when sleeping with your partner. 

Because of the emotional and physical security and intimacy we feel with our partners, our core tension levels plummet around them, always giving us a feeling of being tired, in a way. That’s just our bodies unwinding, as they finally feel at peace. Such an occurrence is common among healthy relationships and is a key aspect of why we tend to sleep better with our partners.  

In simpler terms: we feel safe around them, so our bodies relax as they no longer have to be on guard, allowing us to calm down and sleep faster and better. Higher oxytocin levels, which are also common when with your partner, aid in reaching REM faster and having a deeper sleep. We feel less alone when we sleep with someone we love, and that sense of safety helps us drift off much better. 

The act of sharing a bed also heavily impacts the quality of sleep we receive. Co-sleeping is safe. It’s warm. My partner is next to me, and I feel at peace internally. I can rest knowing I have nothing to worry about. Sharing a bed also reduces blood pressure and inflammation, leading to better sleep quality. When we spend enough time with someone, and in such proximity, our sleep cycles and our heartbeats may sync with one another. It’s not about the physical activity aspect of sleeping with your partner, but rather the emotional aspect of it. The relationship becomes stronger. The idea of being together in your most vulnerable moment and choosing to be with each other, it fortifies a bond between two people.

Catching Zzz’s

Are there benefits to cuddling and sleeping together? Yes, there are. But there are also a few drawbacks. Overwhelmingly, it’s better for one’s health and sleep quality to share their shut-eye hours with their partner. However, despite all the benefits, it doesn’t guarantee a perfect eight hours of sleep. 

While fewer than those who reported improved sleep, many individuals detailed that when sleeping with their partner, they experienced multiple disruptions throughout the night. Snoring is a big source of contention and has the potential to prevent you from getting the rest you need. Constant moving, disagreements on the preferred temperature in the room, and varying bedtimes can all cause stress to a couple when it comes to sleep. 

Compromise is what can fix this, though. Have individual blankets if one gets hotter than the other. Understand that you don’t have to fall asleep at the same time to sleep together. Invest in nose strips to reduce snoring. 

Co-sleeping doesn’t have to be a prison. In fact, your body is designed to accept it as the opposite. Cuddling with your partner offers a multitude of rewards to the mind and the body, so make sure to reap those as soon as you can.

Do you like co-sleeping, or do you like sleeping alone better? Let us know in the comments below!