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What Is the Scandinavian Sleep Method and Can It Save Your Relationship?
Sharing a bed with your partner can strengthen your relationship and foster intimacy. However, it may also affect the overall quality of your slumber.
Think about it: a restless partner hogging the sheets won’t make for a good night's sleep! If you can relate, you might want to try the Scandinavian sleep method, which involves using individual duvets instead of sharing one.
This article covers the Scandinavian sleep method, its pros and cons and how to determine if it's the right choice for both of you.
Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways
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The Scandinavian sleep method involves couples sharing a bed with separate duvets (or their own blanket).
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This method benefits shuteye by reducing disruptions, allowing for personalized comfort and temperature control, to name a few.
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Among its drawbacks are the potential need to change sleep positions, extra laundry, and the fact that it’s not as effective on smaller beds.
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It’s not a universal solution to all slumber problems, but it’s worth trying if you want to improve your co-sleeping arrangement.
Table of Contents
What Is the Scandinavian Sleep Method?
The Scandinavian sleep method means couples use two duvets, comforters or blankets instead of sharing one. It's viable for bed partners who experience poor slumber caused by restless movements or waking up from the cold air.
It works best with a king- or queen-size bed but can also be used on other bed sizes that fit two people, but to lesser effect.
This sleep style is common in Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Sweden, Norway and some parts of Europe. But it recently caught the rest of the world by storm when Swedish influencer Cecilia Blomdahl’s post on TikTok went viral in 2023.(1)
The Benefits of the Scandinavian Sleep Method
Besides having a duvet to yourself, this sleep arrangement has several other benefits. (We suspect they’ll make you consider experimenting with this method.)
Sleeping at the Right Temperature
According to WebMD, the optimal temperature for sleeping is anywhere from 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.(2) However, the lower end of this range might not be ideal for everyone.
Temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit lower sleep quality, while excess heat can cause night sweats. Since the tolerance for cold or heat isn’t universal, sleeping at a temperature that suits your unique comfort levels will help you get restful sleep.
Wrestling over a single duvet will leave one of you out in the cold. Sleeping with your own duvet may give you control over regulating your body temperature.
Fewer Sleep Disruptions
Apart from temperature, noise and light can give anyone a rude awakening, especially light sleepers. Waking up more than once harms the quality of your slumber. Sharing a duvet increases the chances of this happening.
For example, getting up for a bathroom trip means crawling out from under the shared duvet, turning on the light, and disturbing your partner.
The Scandinavian sleep method minimizes disturbances by giving each person their own environment (with two duvets), even when sharing the same bed.
Personalized Comfort: Sleeping With Separate Duvets
Let’s zoom in on a personalized slumber environment, even when bed-sharing. The Scandinavian sleep method lets you choose what works best for you both as individuals. That includes sleeping in your favorite position.
You can each pick bedding that suits your preferences, from colors to weight to material. You have more freedom to personalize your sleep environment with accessories like a 100% blackout sleep mask or comfortable earplugs for less disturbance from your partner’s movements and noise.
No More Duvet Hogging With Your Own Blanket
It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway): the Scandinavian sleep method ends the blanket tug of war with two separate blankets.
As mentioned earlier, duvet or blanket hogging can leave either of you feeling too chilly. When one partner unwittingly pulls the duvet, it can disrupt the other’s slumber at night.
It’s Cheaper Than Sleep Divorce
Sleep divorce happens when couples decide to sleep in separate beds or rooms due to snoring or intense and disruptive movements.
While these alone don’t necessarily cause legal divorce, they can strain your relationship. Surprisingly, sleep divorce is more common than you think. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey found that one-third of respondents sleep apart to accommodate their partner.(3) Sleeping separately addresses disturbances due to more serious snoring and movement-related disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and periodic limb movement disorder.
The Scandinavian sleep method is an affordable alternative for mild snoring and movement. While it might not solve severe slumber issues, it can help regulate temperature and minimize disturbing each other.
Unlike sleep divorce, which necessitates new bedding and furniture, the Scandinavian sleep method only requires new bedding.
The Cons of the Scandinavian Sleep Method
This arrangement is one way of solving your co-sleeping difficulties. However, it comes with its drawbacks.
You May Need to Change Sleep Positions
You may need to change your couple sleeping position. If you and your partner use the spoon or loose spoon position, the bulk of your duvets will likely affect your preferred sleep posture. However, you shouldn’t have issues using the face-to-face or back-to-back positions.
While you can still cuddle using the Scandinavian sleep method, it may not be what you’re used to. It doesn’t allow for skin-to-skin contact without your duvets in the way. That said, you can cuddle before crawling under the covers to fall asleep.
It May Not Work in a Smaller Bed
We mentioned earlier that a king-sized bed is best for the Scandinavian sleeping method. A queen bed also works.
Smaller beds might prove trickier, but depending on duvet sizes and available space, it's still possible.
The Bed May Not Look as Neat
We hate to break it to you: using the Scandinavian sleep method may result in a messy-looking bed. That’s because you now have two separate duvets to contend with instead of one.
However, all is not lost! Apartment Therapy recommends buying two separate duvets in the same color and folding them in half, side-by-side on the bed, Scandinavian-style. You can also use a blanket or throw to conceal any lines caused by the duvets.(4)
The Laundry Will Double
There’s no way around it. Your laundry will double. While smaller than a large duvet, two bedding sets require more work and washing time. Considering the added laundry costs and effort to boot, it's a valid concern.
It Won’t Solve All Sleep Issues
The Scandinavian sleep method may help you and your partner get better shuteye. However, it doesn’t work for everyone.
It’s primarily effective at personalizing temperature regulation and minimizing disruptions from movement. And yes, it does solve the “duvet hogger” issue.
How to Implement the Scandinavian Sleep Method
We recommend experimenting with this arrangement for at least a week. Here’s how to put it into practice:
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Decide on whether to use a top sheet or not. People from Scandinavian countries usually do away with the top sheet to lessen the layers to a fitted sheet and separate duvets. (It also cuts down on laundry.)
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Purchase two separate duvets based on your bed size. According to the Sleep Foundation, you can opt for two twin duvets (or twin-size XL) when using this method.(5) Pick duvets that won’t crowd your bed space.
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Choose your bedding according to your individual preferences. Consider the material, weight, and color. A duvet or comforter provides more insulation if you get cold quickly. A lightweight blanket is ideal if you’re a hot sleeper.
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Document your sleep duration, the time it takes to fall asleep, how often you get up at night and how you feel when you get up in a sleep journal. Reviewing your findings will help you and your partner determine if it’s working or not.
Our Experience With the Scandinavian Sleep Method
Manta Sleep team members tried the Scandinavian sleep arrangement with their bed partners and gave their honest opinions. Here are their stories:
Gabrielle and Christian
Gabrielle, a light sleeper who often gets cold, and her husband, Christian, a restless sleeper and a comforter hog, share a king-size bed. They both purchased one comforter (twin XL-size) each and ditched the top sheet. After 15 days of using the Scandinavian sleep method, they agreed it improved their shuteye.
Gabrielle says, “I sleep better now because he has his comforter and doesn’t hog mine. I get cold easily, but now I stay warm all night. His tossing and turning doesn’t wake me as much.”
Christian adds, “I sleep better now with my own comforter. We used to argue about my hogging the blanket, which caused me anxiety and kept me up at night. Now, I don’t worry about disturbing my wife’s sleep.”
Louis and Bea
Louis and his sleep partner, Bea, weren’t fans of the Scandinavian sleep method. They sleep on a full-size bed with Bea, a cuddler who snores and wakes Louis, who is super neat. They purchased individual duvets (twin-size) and gave up after 8 days.
Louis says, “I struggled with making the bed in the morning — it looked messy compared to when we used one duvet. Plus, I was still waking up from her loud snoring, though at least it wasn’t right by my ear.”
Bea adds, “I’m a cuddler, but this arrangement felt less intimate. It’s like I was cuddling my own duvet instead of him. The bed also felt smaller, maybe because our bed is small. It’s just not my thing.”
As these stories show, the Scandinavian sleep method can be a game-changer for some couples, improving personal comfort and sleep. However, it isn’t for everyone. What works for one couple might not work for another.
Conclusion: Does the Scandi Sleep Method Improve Sleep Quality?
The Scandinavian sleep method can be effective at improving your co-sleeping situation. It may give you and your bed partner a better night’s rest by minimizing sleep disturbances and giving you control over regulating your body temperature.
However, it might also involve adjusting your sleeping position and how you make your bed. It’ll double the amount of laundry, too.
At the end of the day, it’s all about what works for you as a couple. The Scandinavian sleep method calls for compromise and consideration. It isn’t as drastic or pricey as sleep divorce. It’s worth giving a shot if you want to keep sharing a bed.
Let us know if the Scandinavian sleep method works for you. Share your sleep experience by leaving a comment below!
Sources:
(1) sejsejlija. "The Scandinavian Sleep Method" TikTok, 22 October 2023, www.tiktok.com/@sejsejlija/video/7360404051143576865. Accessed 20 March 2025.
(2) “What’s the Best Temperature for Sleep?” WebMD, www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/cant-sleep-adjust-the-temperature. Accessed 20 March 2025.
(3) “Over a third of Americans opt for a “sleep divorce” American Academy of Sleep Medicine, aasm.org/over-a-third-americans-opt-sleep-divorce/. Accessed 20 March 2025.
(4) “I Finally Tried The Scandinavian Sleep Method and I’ve Never Been More Rested.” Apartment Therapy, www.apartmenttherapy.com/scandinavian-sleep-method-review-37379473. Accessed 20 March 2025.
(5) “What Is the Scandinavian Sleep Method?” Sleep Foundation, www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/scandinavian-sleep-method. Accessed 20 March 2025.
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