What is the Scandinavian sleep hack & can it help your relationship?

A bad night’s sleep can affect your mood, health and can put a strain on your relationships with others, especially the person you share a bed with. While sharing a bed with your partner is considered the norm, it can be tricky if your partner snores, fidgets and hogs the covers, which is why many couples have made the decision to have a sleep divorce.

Choosing to sleep separately in different rooms is a big step and not one that everyone can afford. But a new sleep hack has emerged on TikTok called the Scandinavian sleep hack, which many people are crediting as ‘life changing’ and ‘saving their relationship’. So, what is it and how can it help you and your partner sleep better?

What is the Scandinavian sleep hack?

The Scandinavian sleep hack, also called the Swedish sleep method, is where a couple sleeps in the same bed but uses two separate duvets or blankets rather than sharing a large one.

Rather than having a completely separate room from one another, you still share the best mattress but the covers are kept separate. This hack has recently gone viral as TikTok and YouTube user Cecilia Blomdahl filmed the unique way she made her bed and many viewers were left feeling intrigued.

To make your bed using the Scandinavian sleep hack, you’ll need a fitted sheet, two single duvets and your choice of the best sheets, blankets and any other sleep accessories that you like. Put the fitted sheet on your bed and then lay your first duvet on one side of the bed before doing the same with your second duvet so they overlap slightly. From here, you can add throws, pillows and blankets to your bed to make it more comfy but the general idea is that you have a clear indication whose side and duvet is whose.

If you’re not sure what duvet you’d like, check out our top picks for the best duvet and find the right fit with our duvet size guide.

Pros & cons of the Scandinavian sleep hack

This sleep method has intrigued and confused many people but like most sleep hacks and techniques, there are pros and cons to making your bed the Scandinavian way.

Starting off with the positives, having separate duvets means you can choose your own thickness, temperature and comfort levels. So, if your partner tends to run hot at night, they can choose a lighter tog duvet but if you feel the chill, you can choose a heavier tog. If you prefer a bit of weight on you, you can also sub out a duvet with one of the best weighted blankets.

Having your own duvet also means you won’t disturb your partner as much, as it eliminates the tug of war with the covers, and you can easily get in and out of bed during the night without rustling them. You can also be close to your partner but still have your own personal space with your own bedding.

Now looking at the negatives, many people avoid the Scandinavian sleep hack as they believe it will result in a lack of intimacy. According to an article in the Daily Mail, sleeping skin-on-skin helps you sleep better, reduces symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression and makes you feel closer to your partner, which is why people choose to sleep this way. Other cons of sleeping with separate duvets is that you’ll be spending more money, including the initial cost of buying two duvets and the ongoing cost of washing multiple covers and bedding when you change your sheets.

So, does the Scandinavian sleep method work? Overall, it’s completely dependent on you and your partner’s sleeping patterns. If you tend to sleep nicely together while sharing one big duvet, you’re probably content to carry on that way. But, if your partner hogs the covers or you find their fidgeting hard to deal with, it’s definitely worth giving it a try!