Sharing a bed with your other half can be trickier than you think. While it might seem romantic at first to snuggle up under the duvet, the fun might end pretty quickly when you discover crumbs from their late-night snack on the sheets.
If you realise your loved one snores or sleep talks, you might find the reality isn't as idyllic as you imagined! Suddenly, the idea of buying the biggest bed you can find to "escape" might seem strangely attractive. Read our guide on people's most annoying bedtime habits to see if you recognise any yourself.
Eating in bed
While having that late-night pizza snack before you went to sleep seemed like a good idea at the time, think twice before you head for the fridge after 7 pm. Not only is eating late at night bad for your health - as the calories you eat don't digest properly and are stored as fat - but it can also lead to crumbs in the bed.
Studies reveal that 25% of UK adults eat in bed. When it comes to 18 to 24-year-olds, this figure rises to 55%. However, for people who prefer eating at the table or in front of the TV, eating in bed is a terrible habit that leaves you lying in a sea of crumbs.
Sleep talking
When the TV and light have been turned off and it's time to sleep, the sound of your partner having intermittent conversations in their sleep can be mildly irritating, to say the least. While 66% of people have been told they talk in their sleep at some time in their life, it doesn't happen often.
Around 17% of adults are regular sleep-talkers. Researchers say it isn't dangerous, but it can bother a partner or roommate by interrupting their sleep, contributing to problems such as insomnia and feeling excessively tired during the day. Maybe it could be time for single beds so you can pull the covers over your head till they're quiet again?
Snoring
An estimated 45% of adults snore now and again, while 25% snore regularly. They often disturb their partner's sleep - and sometimes their own too. Who wouldn't want to sleep next to someone sounding like a steam train going up a hill?
Amazingly, some people snore so loudly that it reaches between 50 and 100 decibels - the equivalent of a pneumatic drill! People who share a bed with a loud snorer report feeling fatigued all the time, lacking concentration and feeling frustrated and cross due to sleep deprivation.
Playing games on a mobile phone
When you've had a hard day and just want to sleep, the last thing you want to hear is the annoying electronic beeps of games being played on a mobile phone as you snuggle into bed. This is especially annoying when you can see the screen lighting up in the darkness like a tiny - but very annoying - lighthouse.
Unfortunately for people who just want an early night, 57% of mobile gamers say they like to play games last thing at night, right before they go to sleep. This isn't a good idea, however, as it can keep your brain working overtime and eventually cause insomnia. Similarly, if you sleep next to a "phone checker" who wakes in the night and just has to check their messages, even if it's 4 am, this can be annoying too.
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The duvet thief
Research has revealed that 45% of couples complain they frequently wake up to find they have no bedding over them at all. Glancing across the bed to see their partner snuggled up in the duvet, blissfully unaware, is a source of annoyance on a regular basis.
Waking up to find they have been stripped of any bedding, the victim often tries to tussle it back from their partner, leading to frustration and both of them being awake.
Starfish position
Someone who sleeps in the starfish position, as its name implies, usually spreads out their arms and legs, taking up a lot of space in the bed. This can leave their partner pressed up against the wall, or lying precariously on the edge of the bed.
Around one-quarter of Brits say they share their bed with a "starfish" and suffer sleepless nights as a result. The solution could be to get a bigger bed so they can spread out as much as they like, without affecting their loved one.
What do the health experts say?
According to physiotherapists, if you're fighting your partner for the bedding, or trying to fend off someone who's inadvertently spreading out and taking over the bed, this not only influences the quality of our sleep but can also leave us with backache and a sore neck from the nightly battle.
We spend around one-third of our life in bed, so it's important that you're either compatible sleep-wise with your partner, or can find a way to solve any problems.
While things like eating in bed, or playing games on mobile phones, are easily resolved by exercising a little give and take, problems such as sleep-talking and sleeping spread out can be more challenging. Research reveals that 50% of us have gone to sleep in the spare room or on the sofa to escape an annoying partner!
What are the best beds?
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