The psychologist gave advice on avoiding chronic sleep deprivation due to a partner

Chronic lack of sleep due to a partner is seriously harmful to mental and physical health. Olga Umanova, a clinical psychologist at the Be Healthy Harmony and Health Center, told Izvestia on March 13 about ways to solve this problem.,

"Chronic lack of sleep due to a partner is not a trivial matter, but a serious problem for physical and mental health. Research shows that sleep disorders in one partner negatively affect the health and well—being of the other," the expert said.

As the specialist noted, when a person systematically does not get enough sleep, the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, increases. This causes irritability, reduces the ability to empathize, and impairs cognitive function, which in turn inevitably affects the quality of relationships and life in general.

According to Umanova, the problem needs to be dealt with, but not through claims, but as a joint project to take care of the health of both. Before changing the sleep format, it is worth excluding medical reasons. To do this, you need to consult a somnologist or ENT specialist, as snoring, restless leg movements, or stopping breathing during sleep can be symptoms of sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome that can be treated.

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If medical reasons are excluded or are under correction, you can start with less drastic measures, such as using different blankets, orthopedic mattresses with separate stiffness, white noise, or earplugs.

It is also important to synchronize bedtime rituals: dim lights, turning off gadgets 30-60 minutes before bedtime, relaxing breathing together. This not only improves falling asleep, but also strengthens the emotional connection. Sometimes it is enough to change the sleeping position or lift the headboard to reduce snoring.

If, despite efforts, one or both partners continue to suffer from sleep deprivation, sleeping separately is not a failure of the relationship, but rather a mature decision. According to the psychologist, many couples sleeping in different rooms maintain intimacy through joint evening rituals such as tea, conversations and hugs before bedtime, as well as morning "dates" over coffee.

"Be careful: if the idea of sleeping separately causes one of the partners severe anxiety, a sense of rejection, or is used as a way to avoid intimacy, then this is a reason to contact a family psychologist. Sometimes the "sleep problem" hides deeper conflicts that are important to work out," the expert said.

The specialist advised couples to openly discuss the problem of sleep, but not at the moment of waking up at night. It is better to choose a quiet time during the day and formulate the problem as "we are the problem," for example, "We want both to get enough sleep. How do we organize this?" It is also important to experiment with separate blankets, beds or rooms and evaluate the results after 1-2 weeks, monitoring not only the quality of sleep, but also the overall mood.

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Olesya Tolstukhina, a doctor and clinical psychologist, said on March 12 that "white noise" can help babies fall asleep faster because it creates a calm and predictable sound environment, but it does not replace important emotional contact with parents. For infants, such a background sound is perceived as a calm and predictable environment, which reduces the level of arousal and makes it easier to fall asleep.

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