Sharing a bed with the one you love can be nothing short of bliss, but let’s face it: partners are still human. Which means dealing with less-than-romantic snoring, sleep talking/walking/kicking and yes, duvet stealing. Tess Barker of Women’s Health writes that “sharing the bed with a blanket thief means sleeping on constant high alert,” and it’s hard to disagree.
But while duvet theft can certainly impact quality of sleep and domestic tranquility, here are six simple steps you can take to win back your half of the duvet:
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1. Talk it out
First things first, right? Let your partner know what’s going on, how it frustrates you and disrupts your sleep, and see what solutions the two of you come up with. You may be surprised at how stress-free it actually is once the issue is out in the open and up for discussion.
2. Invest in bigger covers.
If you and your partner sleep in a queen size bed and you’re left with next to no duvet by the end of the night, upgrade to a king size sheet and comforter set. It may seem excessive at first, but the adjustment will give your partner ample material to hoard throughout the night while still leaving you your fair share.
3. Check the thermostat.
It makes sense if you sleep in a chillier bedroom that one (or both) of you will start to require more blanket bundling as deep sleep sets in and the body’s temperature cools down accordingly. Consider cranking up the heat to see if this affects your partner’s comfort level, and thus your own.
4. Get closer.
You hear it all the time: one partner loves to spoon, the other needs space to sleep. But cuddling is a great way to share the love as well as the bedding, and if the two of you can adjust positions you may see the difference right away.
5. Try a duvet clip.
We live in an age where just about any problem has a clever solution, and duvet clips (also marketed as sheet fasteners, cover clips, bedsheet holders, and other ubiquitous names) are no exception. Designed to clip the bedcovers in place on either side with a connected elastic strap running underneath the mattress, it’s a practical (and only slightly punishing) solution to blanket theft.
6. Get separate bedcovers.
If you’ve tried everything and to no avail, you might just have to go your separate ways where blankets are concerned. An online guide via Time Magazine advises that, “the solution is to have his and hers covers: one top sheet, blanket and/or comforter for you, and another stack for him. It’s harder for one partner to steal the covers from the other if you each have your own layers.”
Ultimately, successful relationships are all about compromise. If you and your partner can meet each other halfway where the bed is concerned, you might find similar approaches to other issues that may come your way.
