It’s 2 a.m. and you’re clinging to the corner of a blanket for dear life while your partner blissfully hogs the rest of the covers. Or maybe you’re the culprit, spaghetti-forking the covers into a twist and leaving your bed-fellow with a top sheet at best.
For millions of couples, the battle for blanket real estate is as routine as brushing your teeth. Enter the Scandinavian sleep method—a deceptively simple practice that could be the truce you have been waiting for.
What is the Scandinavian sleep method?
As sleep methods go, this one is surprisingly straightforward. In much of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and parts of mainland Europe, the norm is for couples to share a bed but not a blanket. Instead of one communal comforter, each person gets their own duvet. A version of parallel play but for nighttime, the Scandinavian method puts an end to blanket tug-of-war, “stealing the covers” accusations and enforced compromises on temperature needs.
Dr. Wendy Troxel, senior sleep scientist at RAND and author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep, explains the method isn’t about avoiding intimacy. Rather, a well-slept individual is a better partner. When we get the sleep we need, we’re better communicators, happier, less prone to depression and more empathic toward our partners, she says.
Separate duvets encourage couples to maintain closeness while helping them identify their most optimal sleep environment. While this is not a cure for snoring, late-night Netflix binges or 3 a.m. phone scrolling, it can help with incompatible temperature preferences.
Why the Scandinavian sleep method works
One-third of Americans say their partner negatively impacts their sleep, according to recent survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. And 6 in 10 adults have considered changing their sleeping setup entirely. While some resort to “sleep divorce” (separate beds or bedrooms), the Scandinavian sleep method offers a more connected middle ground. It provides a solution for the fact that humans have wildly different sleep needs, not just in bedtime routines, but in core body temperature preferences.
Temperature dysregulation is a known trigger for insomnia. One partner may run hot and sleep best under a thin, breathable layer. The other might want a thick, fluffy duvet cocooned around them. Sharing one blanket forces compromise, which often means neither person sleeps their best sleep.
With two duvets, each person can fine-tune their thermal comfort by either burrowing tightly, leaving a leg out for airflow, or swapping to a lighter quilt seasonally, all without impacting their partner. Here are some of the biggest reasons for having your own designated duvet.
Better sleep quality
No more middle-of-the-night blanket wars. You stay covered as you like, your partner stays covered as they like, and both of you stay asleep.
Fewer sleep disturbances
Every time your partner tugs at the blanket, shifts position or rolls over, you’re less likely to be disturbed if your bedding is independent. When one of you tosses and turns, having individual duvets means the movement doesn’t rip the covers off the other person.
Personalized temperature control
Thermal zones are personal. With two duvets, each sleeper can choose a weight, material and warmth level without having to sacrifice their comfort.
Relationship-saving potential
Sleep deprivation is a pipeline to irritability, arguments and emotional distance. Better rest means fewer petty squabbles over who’s “hogging the covers.”
Intimacy reboot
Unlike separate beds, you’re still physically together. You can cuddle before sleep or in the morning without sacrificing rest in between. For couples reluctant to move to separate rooms, this is a simple solution that could be a game changer.
Potential drawbacks of the Scandinavian sleep method
More laundry
Two duvets mean twice the covers to wash. If you already hate bedding laundry now, brace yourself.
You’re going to need a bigger bed
This setup works best on queen or king-sized mattresses. On a full-size bed, two duvets can feel cramped.
And the bed will be harder to make
If you’re into crisp, hotel-style bed-making, the double-duvet look may not be your aesthetic dream. Scandinavian minimalists make it work, but your inner perfectionist may twitch. It can look a little sloppy—trying to wrangle two duvets to look aligned and taut is a losing proposition. Plus, if one partner likes a duvet tucked in military-style and the other prefers it loose, it adds to the chaos.
Top-sheet tension
Many people ditch the top sheet with this method. If you’re attached to yours, you’ll have to decide whether to share one sheet underneath both duvets or skip it entirely.
Take the Scandinavian sleep method for a trial run
If you’re tempted but unsure, you can test-drive the Scandinavian method without investing in new bedding right away. Start with two blankets or throws you already own. Try it for a week and see if your sleep improves. If it does, invest in duvets that match your individual preferences: think down versus down-alternative, light summer weight versus heavy winter fill, or breathable cotton versus cozy flannel covers.
If aesthetics matter, opt for coordinating duvet covers so your bed still looks cohesive. Scandinavian bedrooms often embrace neutral palettes, natural fibers and simple lines, which makes the double-duvet look intentional rather than haphazard.
Make it beautiful: Tips on how to pull your bed together
Since you must lie in the bed you make, here are some key pointers to bringing an aesthetic quality to the proposition.
Choose the duvet mindfully
Match the season: Lighter fill for summer, heavier for winter. Down is warmer and fluffier; down-alternative is hypoallergenic and often easier to wash. Size matters: For a queen bed, two twin duvets work well. For a king, two oversized twins or doubles.
Coordinate for cohesion
Use duvet covers in the same fabric and color family to keep the bed looking pulled together.
If you like contrast, pick complementary colors or patterns that still feel harmonious.
Make it easy
Lay each duvet flat, slightly overlapping in the middle. Tuck the ends in loosely for a relaxed, European look.
While the double-duvet practice is centuries old in Northern Europe, the sleep approach has gained traction elsewhere thanks to social media, where couples rave about finally ending the “blanket hog” problem. It also aligns with broader wellness trends that prioritize sleep as a key pillar of health.
With rising awareness of how poor sleep impacts mood, immunity, weight and long-term health, people are increasingly willing to adjust traditions if it means getting more rest. The Scandinavian sleep method challenges the cultural assumption that sharing a blanket is somehow more romantic or connected. In reality, well-rested couples tend to be more affectionate, more patient and more present with each other. Note that the Scandinavian sleep method is not a miracle cure for every couple’s sleep struggles. If your issue is noise, light, or mismatched bedtimes, it won’t fix that. But for couples whose biggest problem is under the covers, this can bring some sweet relief.
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The post How One Simple Scandinavian Habit Can Transform Your Sleep – and Your Relationship first appeared on The Upside by Vitacost.com.