One early morning, A. gets up to use the bathroom. I decide to do some yoga.
I’m stretching on the rug in our room when he returns and gets back in bed.
On my side.
Look, I am truly grateful to share my life with my partner, but sharing a sleeping space? Always struck me as a little dubious. I’m a light sleeper, and if my partner is stressed, moving around, unable to relax—I’m awake.
Which sucks. Because my body doesn’t wake me up in the middle of the night. And because I have trouble going back to sleep when something does wake me up.
But I persevere for the snuggles.
I digress.
The point is: even with the body warmth (or cool extremities, if you ask A.), there are a lot of discomforts that come with sharing a sleeping space. So there’s compromise. There are rules you have to follow to not infringe on someone else’s space any more than necessary. (That single set of sheets that is somehow supposed to be enough for two people, for an entire night? Not designed by a relationship therapist.)
There. Are. Rules.
Rules like not moving around more than absolutely necessary if you’re the only one awake. Rules like, if you’re up late trying to reach the end of Reddit, not bounding into bed in the small hours of the night so your light-sleeping partner jars awake and stares at the ceiling for the rest of the night. (A. is pretty good with this rule.) And rules like keeping to your side of the bed.
My side has my pillow (in its case, thankyouverymuch). My side has my alarm clock. It has my pretty neat nightstand.* And it’s on my side. So if I go to sleep late, or by chance do have to get up in the middle of the night, or wake up early to do yoga and then want to return to bed, I know where to go. I don’t have to worry about sitting on another human and hurting both of us/sliding off.
Unless someone else isn’t following the rules.
* I leave my mess elsewhere. Like in the drawer of the nightstand. And on the dresser. And elsewhere. Did I say I was easy to live with?
What are your sacred rules of engagement? Leave a comment and share them below.
I’m very, very curious about what triggers your inner type A.
This Glass Has Water 