The Scandinavian sleep method, explained

Key takeaways

• It’s simple: two people, one bed, two duvets. Each partner gets their own duvet, usually a single or twin size, and there’s often no shared top sheet.

• It’s normal across much of northern Europe. In Scandinavia, Germany, and Austria, separate duvets on a shared bed are a common way to make a bed, not a sign of trouble.

• It targets the two things couples fight about at night: covers and heat. Nobody can steal your duvet, and each person can pick a warmer or lighter one.

• It won’t stop every disturbance. A shared mattress still passes on movement, and separate covers do nothing for snoring.

• There’s no trial of the method itself. The case for it comes from research on how couples disturb each other’s sleep, and on how bedding affects body temperature.

What is the Scandinavian sleep method?

The Scandinavian sleep method means sharing a bed but not a duvet. Each person has their own, sized for one, and the two lie side by side on the mattress. Many people who sleep this way skip the top sheet and just use a fitted sheet and a duvet in a washable cover.

The name is a recent internet label for something that isn’t new at all. In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Austria, and other parts of Europe, two single duvets on a double bed is a common way to make a bed, in homes and in many hotels. In the US, where one large comforter is the norm, the idea tends to get filed under “sleep divorce.” In practice it’s a way to keep sharing a bed comfortably.

Why couples disturb each other’s sleep

Most adults who live with a partner share a bed with them, and a good deal of research shows that one person’s restless night spills into the other’s.

• Movement travels. In a 1994 study that tracked 46 couples for eight nights with wrist monitors, about a third of each person’s movements happened at the same moment as their partner’s. Men moved more than women, and women more often reported being disturbed by their partner.

• One person waking can wake the other. In a 2020 study of 55 couples, nearly one in five of a person’s awakenings came right after their partner had woken, about six a night.

• But sharing has upsides too. A small lab study of 12 couples found that sleeping together gave people about 10% more REM sleep, the stage linked with dreaming, than sleeping alone, and that partners’ sleep fell into step with each other.

A 2021 review of bed-sharing research summed up the tension: people usually say they sleep better with a partner, even when monitors show more disruption. The appeal of the Scandinavian method is that it keeps the shared bed and trims some of the disruption.

How separate duvets help

No tug-of-war over the covers. With one comforter, every time one person rolls over, the covers move with them, and the other person can wake up cold. With two duvets, each person’s covers stay put.

Each person sets their own warmth. To fall asleep, the body needs to shed heat through the skin, and the bedding decides how easily that happens. In a 2005 study, warming people’s skin by less than 1°C changed how quickly they fell asleep, so small differences in covering add up. Partners often want different amounts. With separate duvets, one person can use a light summer weight and the other a heavier one, on the same bed.

Less heat trapped between you. A single shared comforter traps two people’s body heat in one space. Separate duvets leave each person in their own pocket of air, which the warmer sleeper can open up without exposing their partner.

Who it could help

• Couples who run at different temperatures. If one of you sleeps hot and the other is always cold, this is the cheapest thing you can try first.

• Partners of a restless sleeper. If someone kicks, rolls, or gets up in the night, separate duvets keep each move from pulling at the other person’s covers.

• Couples on different schedules. The person who goes to bed late or gets up early can get in and out without dragging the covers off their partner.

• Anyone having night sweats or hot flashes. For people in the menopause transition, night sweats can make sleep problems worse. A separate, lighter duvet lets them throw the covers off without chilling their partner, and change their own bedding easily.

• Anyone who shares with a blanket hog. No more waking up uncovered in the middle of the night.

Who it won’t help

Snorers and their partners. A separate duvet does nothing for noise. If snoring is keeping one of you awake, the NHS suggests seeing a doctor if it’s having a big impact on either of your lives. Loud, frequent snoring with pauses in breathing, gasping, or daytime sleepiness can be a sign of sleep apnea, which needs medical attention, not new bedding.

A bouncy mattress. Movement still travels through the mattress itself. If your partner’s tossing and turning shakes the bed, a mattress that limits motion transfer, or a larger bed, will help more.

Very different bedtimes and wake times. Two duvets make getting in and out quieter, but light, alarms, and noise still reach the other person.

If you’ve tried everything and still sleep badly together, separate beds or rooms are a reasonable choice that plenty of couples make. We look at that in is sleeping apart bad for your relationship?

How to set it up

Choose the duvet size. For a queen or king bed, most people use two twin-size duvets or comforters. On a full bed, two twins can overlap more than you’d like, so a smaller single size may fit better. European single duvets are often narrower than US twin comforters, so check the measurements if you buy from a European brand.

Choose the weights. This is the main point of the method. The person who sleeps hot can choose a lightweight or summer duvet, and the person who runs cold a warmer one. Each can change with the seasons on their own schedule.

Decide on the top sheet. Many people skip it and wash the duvet covers instead. If you prefer a sheet, use a twin flat sheet under each duvet rather than one big sheet across the bed.

Make the bed. Fold each duvet in half or thirds lengthwise and lay them side by side, or smooth them out flat on each half. If you’d like the bed to look like one unit during the day, lay a single throw or bedspread across the top.

If it isn’t enough

Separate duvets fix the covers, but not a mattress that holds heat. If one of you still overheats under the lightest duvet, the problem is usually the bed or the room. Our guide to the best temperature to sleep at covers the room, and we compare systems that cool or warm each side of the bed separately in the best bed cooling systems.

Frequently asked questions

Do you use a top sheet with the Scandinavian sleep method?

Usually not. Most people who sleep this way use a fitted sheet and a duvet in a removable cover, and wash the cover as they would a top sheet. If you like a top sheet, use a twin flat sheet under each duvet.

What size duvets do you need for a queen bed?

Two twin-size duvets or comforters are the usual choice for a queen or king. For a full bed, two twins can feel crowded, so look for slightly narrower single duvets.

Is the Scandinavian sleep method the same as a sleep divorce?

No. A sleep divorce usually means sleeping in separate beds or rooms. With the Scandinavian method you still share a bed; you just have your own duvet.

Can you still cuddle with two duvets?

Yes. You can share one duvet to cuddle and move apart when you’re ready to sleep, or slide under your partner’s for a while. Nothing stops you sharing; it just stops the covers going with whoever rolls over.

Does the Scandinavian sleep method help with snoring?

No. Separate duvets don’t reduce noise. If snoring is a problem, talk to a doctor, especially if it comes with pauses in breathing or daytime tiredness.

Why do Europeans sleep with two duvets?

In much of Scandinavia, Germany, and Austria, separate single duvets on a double bed are a long-standing custom rather than a special method. Many homes and hotels there make beds that way.