Are you constantly being disturbed by your other half in bed? Do they steal the bedclothes or hog the space?
Partner disturbance is one of the most common complaints for poor sleep. With a larger bed you are less likely to disturb one another. You should be able to lie side by side, with your arms behind your head and your elbows out, without touching.
Bigger is better
However modern houses, dubbed ‘shameful shoebox homes’ are scuppering many couples’ hopes of a great night’s sleep as they don’t provide enough bedroom space for king-sized beds.
A study by The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) highlighted the growing problem of space restriction in modern homes.
Here are just 10 reasons why a bigger bed is a far better bet:
1. Because a standard double bed (135cm/4ft 6in) gives each person just 2ft 3in of space – less than a baby in a cot. Now how squeezed is that?
2. Ergonomic studies show that couples sleep better in a bigger bed. Before the trials only 15% said they would buy a larger than standard bed. Afterwards 50% said they would. (Ergonomic pilot study by the National Bed Federation, 1995.)
3. Because you spend a third of your life in bed – by the time we are 50 we’ll each have spent some 16 years in bed. If you are going to spend all that time there, why take the trip to dreamland in tourist class when you can go first class?
4. Because it doesn’t necessarily cost a whole heap more to move up a size. Look out for special promotions where you can buy a king size for the same price as a double. Over seven years, every £100 spent on a new bed costs just 3.9p per night.
5. Because 16 other countries can’t be wrong! That’s how many boast bigger average bed sizes than Britain. Top of the league are Belgium, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Finland and Switzerland where most people sleep in a roomy 160cm by 200cm bed. By contrast we Brits still buy more 135cm wide by 190cm long beds.
6. Because you spend as much as you can afford on the best possible house, holiday, car, kitchen, TV and sound system. So why so stingy when it comes to buying a bigger bed?
7. Because you wouldn’t want to get left behind! The latest consumer research by the NBF found that of those buying a bed for two people, 39% were now opting for a bed larger than the standard double size, with 30% opting for a king size (150cm x 200cm / 5ft x 6ft 6”).
8. Because the average person wriggles and turns some 60 to 70 times a night – so you want to put as much space between you and your mate as possible to reduce the disturbance factor.
9. Because you may not be as young as you were – or as slim! A 2009 report from the NHS Information Centre said almost a quarter of adults in England were classified as obese in which case the ‘two in a 4 ft 6ins scenario’ could be putting a severe strain on your relationship.
10. Because once you’ve slept in a king-size or larger, you’ll never want to be a second class sleeper again!
It’s a no brainer really. You need at least a king-size bed for a good night’s sleep!
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