Sneezing, wheezing and rustling around under the covers are just three of the many sleep-disrupting behaviors your partner exhibits while they’re sick. Left unaddressed, each one of these actions will grate your nerve like nails scratching resolutely against a chalkboard. Instead of letting irritation take hold and making your loved one feel awful for something they can’t help, take matters into your own germ-free hands. Here are 6 tips for making your cozy bed a place where you can sleep even when your hope-you-feel-better half is sick.
Sleep Apart
Sure, it sounds harsh, but even WebMD suggests sleeping separate quarters if you’re exceptionally sick and your partner is not. Be diplomatic about the decision of who gets the bed and who gets the couch; if your sick partner is uncomfortable enough as it is, you may offer to let them stay in the four-poster as long as they won’t be offended if you take a night off from the shared nest. WebMD explains that this “way you won’t risk spreading the sickness. And you can cough, blow your nose, and get out of bed without waking someone else up.”
Face the Other Way
Don’t want to forgo a night of sleepy time with your sweetie? Skip the snuggling and sleep facing the opposite way, so you’ll limit any unwanted sneezes in the face and your exposure to germs. Word to the wise: if you’re opting to stick it out through their sickness, you’ll be less than justified in complaining about how loud their coughs were the next morning.
Use a Loud Humidifier
This strategy is twofold; the added water in the air will serve to help to decongest whoever’s under the weather, while making enough noise so that the other mate can get a quiet night’s rest. What’s more, most grocery stores or drugstores have inexpensive humidifiers available in the Cold/Flu aisle.
Try Earplugs
If you’re less concerned with germs and most concerned with blocking out the noise of your sick soulmate, consider a simply fix: earplugs. This way you can sleep through the sounds so you can wake up refreshed and prepared to be helpful to your sick partner for soup and juice runs during the day.
Listen to Music with Headphones
If falling, rather than staying, asleep is the issue, another way to drown out the sounds is to listen to music through your headphones while you fall asleep. Create a playlist that’s soothing, and make it long enough that it’ll carry you peacefully into dreamland. Once you’re asleep, you should be able to stay that way. If you wake up, simply hit play one more time and let the tunes carry you off again.
Have Your Partner Prop Their Stuffy Head Up
If your partner is suffering from a head cold, having them simply prop their head a bit upright with a pillow may have miraculous effects. It could mean less sniffling, and more sleep for both of you. Try it in combination with any of the above recommendations and it just may be the cure you’ve both been looking for.
