If you’ve ever shared a bed, you know it’s not always the picture of restful sleep. When you’re sleeping alone, the temperature’s dialed in, the sheets are perfect, and you’ve got full control of the blanket. Start co-sleeping, though, and chaos usually follows—an arm in your face, snoring in your ear, or waking up at 2 a.m. shivering because your partner hogged the covers. While not every annoyance can be solved, one technique called the Scandinavian sleep method is gaining buzz for making couples sleep a whole lot better.
Below, we break down exactly what the Scandinavian sleep method is all about, who should give it a try, and why it just might be the key to finally getting a deeper, less interrupted night’s rest.
Related: How to Help Yourself Fall Asleep Faster: Andrew Huberman’s 1 Key Tip to Sleep Better
What Is the Scandinavian Sleep Method?
Simply put, the Sandavain sleep method allows for two people to share the same bed without sharing the same blanket. According to Dr. Michael Gradisar, head of Sleep Science at Sleep Cycle, a leading sleep tracking application founded in Sweden, it’s a common practice in countries like Sweden and Denmark. This technique addresses a surprisingly significant and common sleep issue: being disturbed by your bed partner.
“Better sleep continuity—that is, fewer awakenings—means more opportunity to cycle naturally
through the stages of sleep, including deep and REM sleep,” he says. “Even if you don’t consciously remember being woken by your partner, small disturbances can pull you into lighter stages of sleep, leaving you less rested in the morning. By reducing those disruptions, separate duvets help you maintain longer stretches of restorative sleep.”
While it’s a relatively new idea in the United States, the setup has been around in other parts of the world for decades. So much so that other countries don’t think of it as unusual or unromantic, Gradisar says.
“In many other countries, particularly in North America, there’s a stronger cultural association between sharing a blanket and intimacy, so the idea of separate duvets can feel like a break from tradition, plus more washing. That perception, rather than any practical drawback, is the main reason it’s less common outside Northern Europe.”
Benefits of the Scandinavian Sleep Method
Aside from the fact that you won’t wake up freezing in the middle of the night sans your comforter, it can also help with sleep disturbances caused by movement.
“Research shows that about a third of awakenings are due to a partner’s movements,” Gradisar says. “Separate duvets reduce motion transfer and also help with temperature regulation. If one person runs hot while the other runs cold, separate covers let each person stay comfortable without waking up in the middle of the night. It also puts an end to the dreaded ‘duvet tug-of-war.’”
Who Benefits Most From Using Separate Duvets?
If you don’t have issues with your sleep, sleeping with separate sheets or duvets may not be totally necessary. However, if you notice regular disturbances because of your partner, it may be time to try it out.
Dr. Gradisar says it’s especially helpful for couples with:
- Different temperature preferences (one person likes to be warm, the other cool).
- Restless sleepers (tossing, turning, kicking the covers off).
- Provide less disturbance for couples with mismatched schedules (one goes to bed much earlier or later than the other).
