In love, opposites attract. But opposite sleep schedules? That’s a problem. It becomes a challenge when one person is up at sunrise, full of energy, and the other has gone to bed at 3 am. So, we did some research to see how couples with different sleep schedules are making it work. And we have found some reliable and practical advice that will help you. 

Related: How To Make A Relationship Work: 13 Lessons That Redditors Learnt The Hard Way

1. Start with communicating

This is a given. Without communicating and being honest about your problems, you can’t resolve them. So, be empathetic and patient and talk about your sleep schedules.

Hisako315, a Reddit user who had a different sleeping schedule from their partner, also recommends communication. This helped them both get used to each other’s sleeping patterns.

2. Get a white noise machine

the_30th_road recommends a white noise machine and it’s a great invention for desi households where the loudest tasks are done at 6 in the morning. This machine produces a consistent, soothing sound that can help you sleep by blocking out background noise and masking disruptive sounds.

3. Sleep together (kind of)

I know sleeping together is great. Even research shows that partners are more likely to fall asleep faster when they sleep next to each other. And the faster you fall asleep, the better sleep quality you get. But when you both have different sleep schedules, sleeping together might seem like a struggle. 

Elastic Slice, a Reddit user, has an excellent arrangement with their partner. This allows intimacy, space, and being your own person. 

4. Affection is in effort

Do you think that different sleep schedules mean no time for affection? Well, love can be shown in the smallest ways.

Smug010, a Redditor, suggests setting up everything you need for the morning the night before. This helps minimise the noise as you’re not running around looking for your stuff and shows your partner that you care.

5. Me-time is a bonus

No matter how much you love your partner, you don’t want them in your face all the time. Different sleep schedules are a blessing in disguise in this case. Even Juan Espinosa, a Quora user, suggests looking at it this way.

6. A little compromise goes a long way

If you’re someone who believes in no-compromise, beta tumse na ho payega.

ThraxMaximinus recommends, “Just make the moments count. We’ve been doing it for 6 years like this. If we feel like we need time together, she will call in sick and take a metal (mental) health day for us.” Tweaking your schedule a bit to spend more quality time together seems to be the key for him and his wife. You can try this too.

7. Earplugs can be your saviour

If you like to sleep in later than your partner, earplugs can be your best friend. A Redditor named AMeadon gives earplugs the credit for saving their marriage. Earplugs work really well in cutting out noise. So, you can sleep peacefully while your early-rising partner is high on energy in the morning. 

8. Sleep in different rooms

If nothing seems to work for you, sleeping in different bedrooms might be a good idea. It might seem a little weird in the beginning but good sleep will make you both more loving people. Redditors elegant_road551 and SeinfeldSarah claim that sleeping in different bedrooms was a ‘game changer’ for them, so maybe it can be for you too.

Living as a couple with different sleep schedules is difficult but there’s always a way out if you’re willing to find it.

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