How Does the Scandinavian Sleep Method Work?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOriginsBenefitsHow to Implement ItTipsPotential Pitfalls

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Origins

Benefits

How to Implement It

Tips

Potential Pitfalls

Close

If you live with your partner, it’s presumed that youshare a bed together. But that doesn’t mean sleeping with another person is ideal for you. Frominsomnia, to blanket tug of war, to waking up chilled because your s.o. has stolen the coversagain, some people just don’t thrive in a bed with another person.

Ahead, you’ll learn about how the Scandinavian sleep method came about, the potential benefits and pitfalls of it, and how you can switch to this method of co-sleeping if you’d like to.

The History of the Scandinavian Sleep Method

No one person invented this different way of sleeping. It’s popular in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, and is also practiced in other areas of Europe, such as Iceland and Germany. These countries rank as some of the highest in the world in terms ofsleep quality, while the United States is low on the list at 87th best.

The Daily Scandinavian wrote about the sleeping method in 2019 after the above study was released that detailed how well people slept in Scandinavia versus the U.S. and other countries, in which they noted that sleeping with two blankets had been coined “the Scandinavian sleep method.” Since then, the concept has become more popular.

That’s because it’s customary to want to follow the habits of people who are yielding good results with their habits, as Scandinavians are with sleep.

Impact and Benefits of the Scandinavian Sleep Method

The goal of the Scandinavian sleep method is for you and your partner to have a better night’s sleep. Sleep quality is vital to a happy life, and the more you wake up in the middle of the night, the less rested you’re likely to feel in the morning.

And even if you’re having challenges currently sleeping with your partner, it doesn’t mean that you’d be better off sleeping alone: Studies have shown that bed sharing leads to improved and more stable REM sleep.

The biggest benefit of the Scandinavian sleep method is that it can improve your quality of sleep without requiring a “sleep divorce” from your partner.

Additionally, not everyone has the same temperature when they sleep. By using two different blankets, those who get colder can opt for heavier blankets than those who are warmer and want a lighter one.

Getting started with the Scandinavian sleep method requires only the purchase of an additional top quilt, blanket, or duvet. It may seem a little tricky to fit two blankets on one bed; you’ll want to have two single sized blankets, not two king or queen ones, in order to not get lost in a sea of blankets.

Twin size blankets are the most common ones to use, but if you have a king size bed you may be able to fit two full sized ones on there. If you want a significant amount of overlap in the center, two full sized blankets on a queen or king will provide that.

Now that your blankets are on your respective sides, you’re ready for bed! The placement of blankets and removal of a top sheet are all that is needed to get started with the Scandinavian sleep method.

Tips for the Scandinavian Sleep Method

Looking to get started with this different way of sleeping, but need a little more help? Here are some tips.

The main downside to this way of sleeping is that it doesn’t work well for cuddling. If you and your partner like to sleep close to one another, the Scandinavian sleep method might create challenges in that happening easily.

There is also an innate lack of skin to skin contact with the sleep method. Skin to skin contact for sleep has been studied predominantly in relation to parents and children, rather than people in relationships,but science has proven that sleeping in the nude can lead to better quality sleep for anyone.

It’s also accepted that skin to skin contact createsoxytocinfor everyone, not just parents and babies.

It’s normal for couples to have challenges in their relationship, including with sleeping. If you’ve been moving through a difficult period in your relationship,couples counselingmight be a wise choice for you.If you’resuffering from insomnia, there are numerous things you can try to get a better night’s sleep.

It’s normal for couples to have challenges in their relationship, including with sleeping. If you’ve been moving through a difficult period in your relationship,couples counselingmight be a wise choice for you.

If you’resuffering from insomnia, there are numerous things you can try to get a better night’s sleep.

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Troxel WM, Robles TF, Hall M, Buysse DJ.Marital quality and the marital bed: Examining the covariation between relationship quality and sleep.Sleep Med Rev. 2007 Oct;11(5):389–404. doi:10.1016%2Fj.smrv.2007.05.002The lifestyle index - best countries for quality of life[Internet]. Sleep Junkie. 2019Kjølberg T.Why do scandinavians sleep so well?[Internet]. Daily Scandinavian. 2019 [cited 2023 Jan 19].Drews HJ, Wallot S, Brysch P, Berger-Johannsen H, Weinhold SL, Mitkidis P, et al.Bed-sharing in couples is associated with increased and stabilized rem sleep and sleep-stage synchronization.Front Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020 Jun 25Angelhoff C, Blomqvist YT, Sahlén Helmer C, Olsson E, Shorey S, Frostell A, et al.Effect of skin-to-skin contact on parents’ sleep quality, mood, parent-infant interaction and cortisol concentrations in neonatal care units: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.BMJ Open. 2018 Aug 1;8(7):e021606. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021606Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K.Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012 May 31;31(1):14. doi:10.1186%2F1880-6805-31-14

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Troxel WM, Robles TF, Hall M, Buysse DJ.Marital quality and the marital bed: Examining the covariation between relationship quality and sleep.Sleep Med Rev. 2007 Oct;11(5):389–404. doi:10.1016%2Fj.smrv.2007.05.002The lifestyle index - best countries for quality of life[Internet]. Sleep Junkie. 2019Kjølberg T.Why do scandinavians sleep so well?[Internet]. Daily Scandinavian. 2019 [cited 2023 Jan 19].Drews HJ, Wallot S, Brysch P, Berger-Johannsen H, Weinhold SL, Mitkidis P, et al.Bed-sharing in couples is associated with increased and stabilized rem sleep and sleep-stage synchronization.Front Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020 Jun 25Angelhoff C, Blomqvist YT, Sahlén Helmer C, Olsson E, Shorey S, Frostell A, et al.Effect of skin-to-skin contact on parents’ sleep quality, mood, parent-infant interaction and cortisol concentrations in neonatal care units: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.BMJ Open. 2018 Aug 1;8(7):e021606. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021606Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K.Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012 May 31;31(1):14. doi:10.1186%2F1880-6805-31-14

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Troxel WM, Robles TF, Hall M, Buysse DJ.Marital quality and the marital bed: Examining the covariation between relationship quality and sleep.Sleep Med Rev. 2007 Oct;11(5):389–404. doi:10.1016%2Fj.smrv.2007.05.002The lifestyle index - best countries for quality of life[Internet]. Sleep Junkie. 2019Kjølberg T.Why do scandinavians sleep so well?[Internet]. Daily Scandinavian. 2019 [cited 2023 Jan 19].Drews HJ, Wallot S, Brysch P, Berger-Johannsen H, Weinhold SL, Mitkidis P, et al.Bed-sharing in couples is associated with increased and stabilized rem sleep and sleep-stage synchronization.Front Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020 Jun 25Angelhoff C, Blomqvist YT, Sahlén Helmer C, Olsson E, Shorey S, Frostell A, et al.Effect of skin-to-skin contact on parents’ sleep quality, mood, parent-infant interaction and cortisol concentrations in neonatal care units: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.BMJ Open. 2018 Aug 1;8(7):e021606. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021606Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K.Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012 May 31;31(1):14. doi:10.1186%2F1880-6805-31-14

Troxel WM, Robles TF, Hall M, Buysse DJ.Marital quality and the marital bed: Examining the covariation between relationship quality and sleep.Sleep Med Rev. 2007 Oct;11(5):389–404. doi:10.1016%2Fj.smrv.2007.05.002

The lifestyle index - best countries for quality of life[Internet]. Sleep Junkie. 2019

Kjølberg T.Why do scandinavians sleep so well?[Internet]. Daily Scandinavian. 2019 [cited 2023 Jan 19].

Drews HJ, Wallot S, Brysch P, Berger-Johannsen H, Weinhold SL, Mitkidis P, et al.Bed-sharing in couples is associated with increased and stabilized rem sleep and sleep-stage synchronization.Front Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020 Jun 25

Angelhoff C, Blomqvist YT, Sahlén Helmer C, Olsson E, Shorey S, Frostell A, et al.Effect of skin-to-skin contact on parents’ sleep quality, mood, parent-infant interaction and cortisol concentrations in neonatal care units: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.BMJ Open. 2018 Aug 1;8(7):e021606. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021606

Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K.Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012 May 31;31(1):14. doi:10.1186%2F1880-6805-31-14

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