It’s the last thing we need during an already exhausting pandemic: A partner who is interfering with our sleep.
Yet many of us are losing shut-eye because our partner snores like a bear or hogs the covers. Stays up until the wee hours scrolling on a phone. Tosses and turns with insomnia. Or has a different sleep schedule that we’re constantly trying to adjust to.
Wendy Troxel is a senior behavioral and social scientist at Rand Corp. and clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep medicine. In her new book, “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep,” she explores how sleeping together impacts both our slumber and our relationship.
I spoke with Dr. Troxel about how to negotiate joint sleep problems. Here are edited excerpts of that interview.
How important is sleep for a relationship?
