Bed Guru has surveyed 1,000 people in the UK to see what it is that grinds their gears in the bedroom right now, and what bad bedroom habit they are guilty of themselves. From eating food in bed to not washing duvets and pillowcases regularly, Bed Guru has uncovered the UK's top bedroom pet peeves and the top bedroom bad habits.
The Pet Peeves
The UK's number one bedroom pet peeve is eating food in bed, with 40.61% of respondents highlighting that if their partner eats food in bed, it is especially annoying. And we can see why who would want lots of little crumbs in their duvet?
As well as crumbs causing an uncomfortable night's sleep, Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click says that eating in bed can be bad for the digestive system. If you eat whilst laying down, or in a slumped position, it can cause acid reflux, which is an extremely painful response to stomach acid getting stuck in the esophagus.
When you eat before bed, it can also cause your metabolism to slow down, which means it takes you longer to burn off the calories you have consumed. So, if you do end up having a midnight snack, it could be worthwhile getting up and walking around for a minute or so, to help your body digest and process the food.
Below is a list of the UK's top bedroom pet peeves:
|
PET PEEVE |
% OF UK RESPONDENTS |
|
Eating food in bed |
40.61% |
|
Leaving clothes on the floor |
38.08% |
|
Snoring |
35.76 |
|
Not making the bed |
35.15% |
|
Duvet Hogging |
26.26% |
|
Leaving the bedroom light on at night |
25.45% |
|
Not closing wardrobes or drawers properly |
24.34% |
|
Passing wind in bed |
18.38% |
|
Not washing duvet or pillowcases regularly |
16.46% |
|
Setting too many wake up alarms |
13.43% |
|
Playing on the phone at bedtime |
13.13% |
|
Twitching whilst asleep |
12.02% |
The Bad Habits
Bed Guru also asked participants what bedroom pet peeve they were guilty of themselves. Interestingly, only 13.13% of respondents say that it’s annoying when their partner plays on their phone at bedtime, but 32.73% of people admit to playing on their phone late into the night. Which makes sense, how can you be annoyed at your partner if it’s a bad habit that you have yourself?
Leaving clothes on the floor is another pet peeve that brits have, with 38.08%of people saying it frustrates them when their partner slings their clothes on the floor, however, 41.16% of respondents say leaving clothes on the floor is a bad habit they are guilty of. It seems that a few of these bedroom pet peeves are things we are guilty of doing ourselves!
Below is a list of the UK's top bedroom bad habits:
|
BAD HABIT |
% OF UK RESPONDENTS |
|
Eating in bed |
41.97% |
|
Not making the bed |
41.87 |
|
Leaving clothes on the floor |
41.16% |
|
Playing on the phone at bedtime |
32.73% |
|
Duvet Hogging |
24.30% |
|
Snoring |
23.29% |
|
Not closing wardrobes or drawers properly |
20.88% |
|
Setting too many wake-up alarms |
18.78% |
|
Passing wind in bed |
16.97% |
|
Twitching whilst asleep |
13.96% |
|
Not washing duvet and pillowcases regularly |
13.86% |
|
Leaving the bedroom light on at night |
8.84% |
We also asked respondents if they would consider sleeping in the spare bedroom if these pet peeves keep reoccurring, and 43.69% of Brits said they would! Eating food in bed is sometimes considered a luxury, and often a romantic experience between a couple, but it could actually be the cause of relationships breaking down and a reason for broken sleep.
The bedroom should be a harmonious and calming place, and if there are clothes on the floor or crumbs in the bed, you will feel distracted, which can cause your mind to feel overwhelmed, and it could impact your sleep.
This could lead to a strained relationship with your partner, as sleep deprivation can be a number one cause of mood swings, and mood swings can often make you irritated with the people closest to you.
How to approach your partner about their bad bedroom habits?
If your partner is guilty of one of the above bad habits, and you’re considering sleeping in a separate bed because of it, it could be time to have a conversation with your partner.
Some bedroom bad habits, such as snoring, can’t be resolved easily, and this could need medical interference if it becomes unbearable. However, there is no excuse for leaving clothes on the floor, not washing duvets and pillowcases, and eating in bed.
So, how should you approach your partner with your bedroom pet peeves? Celia Schweyer, dating expert at Dating Scout has provided some advice:
Express your own needs in a nice way
Start off the conversation by stating the things that make you uncomfortable and immediately back it up with an explanation of why feel that way. You must be able to establish this in a nice way, or else a series of misunderstandings could follow. Express your needs to your partner.
Talk about a solution
Your conversation should not end with just letting your partner know about it, you should come up with a solution that both works for you. This is where compromising will come into play. Both of you will have to give way to each other to keep each other satisfied in the relationship.
If you follow this advice, you might find that your sleeping pattern becomes healthier, and your relationship with your partner will become stronger.
For the ultimate calming sleep experience, read our blog on the best bedroom paint colours for positive mental health.