Hubby sleeps to my left and he's right handed. We've slept this way through 28 years of marriage, in 3 different homes. For both of us, it's the side we are most comfortable with, or at least we've become used to it. We do occasionally mix it up at a motel, I feel safer with hubby between me and the door. LOL

tina

This is very interesting. I sleep on the right side of the bed, DH to my left because.....
1) I am right handed and can reach for things on my nightstand easily
2) I am right handed and can reach for DH easily when I roll towards him ;-)
3) it's the way we slept prior to marriage, prior to even having a bathroom on the same FLOOR as our bed so that never entered the equation!
4) in the current house the bathroom door is pretty much equidistant and directly opposite our bed

On rare occasions we have switched up our sides just for grins but I don't like it!

Just curious for - another oddball question ..... do your parents have the same sleep side arrangement as you or different?

I find this very interesting ....For me no matter where we are he is always to be closest to the door (meaning entry to the room door) It's a feeling of protection for me...I know how un-liberated of me...

Hubby sleeps on my left because it's closer to bathroom and door to hallway. He gets up earlier so he makes less noise that way.

My DH is on my left and he's right handed. I'm the one that wanted to be on the "bathroom side" of the bed! It's just so happened that the bathroom has fallen on the same side in all 3 homes we've lived in but I have had him swap sides when we've been at a hotel.

Right now, Dh sleeps on my right, but we changed sides while I was pregnant. Haven't switched back yet, even though the baby is eight months old. When I am pregnant, I prefer to sleep on my left, and I have to face the edge of the bed while I sleep.

Before we tore out our master bedroom to remodel that end of our house, I slept on the other side of the bed (unless I was pregnant). In our old room, I was closer to the door and bathroom usually, in the bedroom we are using now, he is closer to the door. Neither of us care either way who is closer to the door.

Interesting thread! Dh sleeps to my left. When he's out of town I sleep in his space. I mentioned that recently and he asked if I'd like to change spaces when he's home. For some reason I think that would feel too weird.

I sleep on the left side because I prefer to face away from him when I'm lying on my left side (which is the side I prefer). That leaves my right hand free. I don't like to face Dh when he sleeps unless he's on his right side facing the other direction. Why, you may ask? Because he SNORES! I want to be as far away from the noise as possible! He's on the right side of the bed because it's the side nearest the door (also works out to be the side closest to the bathroom but that had nothing to do with it). I still think I got the better of the deal because my side has a better view of the TV which is across the room in the left corner of the room. His side also happens to be closest to the closet door that is mirrored, I hated being that close to a large mirror when I'm lying in bed. ;)
After 20 years there's no way I can switch sides, even when he's out of town on business I can't sleep on his side!

I'm on the left(closer to the bathroom...he never gets up through the night). He sleeps to the right of me-even when we travel...mmm funny, I've never really clued into this.

However, he tends to sleep on his left side and snore 'towards me (hair-pull) so I've often thought we should switch sides. All I can say is that those spongey orange earplugs have been a life (and marriag:)) saver!

I sleep on the right side because it is closer to the bedroom door, which, if my son needs me in the middle of the night, makes it easier to get out of bed and get to him. Hubby is on my left.

Hubby's on my right because he can only sleep if he is on the right side of the bed. What the heck!?! I, on the other hand, could sleep on a picket fence, as my mother used to say.

Totally Confused

Not an issue for me because we have had separate bedrooms for the last 20 years - love it (my parents always did too). He snores and goes to bed at 9, I go to bed at 11ish and read a book or dec mag till 2 or 3. He likes the room cold and I like it slightly toasty, well, you get the picture.

My point is that you should consider that as your hubby ages, he just might be getting up to use the bathroom much more frequently during the night. I don't think I need to be too graphic but just keep that in mind. What may work at 35 may not work at 55.

What an interesting thread and very thought provoking, too!
My DH is right handed and sleeps on my right side . . . which is also closest to our bathroom. BUT, I've always assumed that we sleep this way because I sleep mainly on my left side and like facing away from him so that I can catch the breeze from our patio doors. I do have to admit, though, that when we travel, we always sleep on the same side of the beds wherever we are.
I've got to tell him about this thread when he gets home tonight . . . interesting!
Sweeby, I'd love to have two bathrooms, like you're planning. But, I'd definitely claim the one on my side of the bed!
Lynn

I don't have anything to add to the other thread, but I'll jump in on this one for fun. DH sleeps on my left - always has no matter which side was door (or bathroom). I guess that's b/c I always preferred to sleep on my right side with my feet hanging out (to cool them down), and when we got married he moved out of barracks into *my* apt so he couldn't displace me LOL. He's right-handed.

So was my ex, and *he* used to take the right side (forcing me to either face him and put my knees in his back, or sleep on my left side). Maybe there *is* something to the dominance theory b/c ex was (is?) more dominant than easy-going DH (and I was a doormat back then, not now). My dad is right-handed and always slept to my mom's right, near the door, until he moved upstairs (after last kid went off to college - they both snore).

"My dh wanted to be on the left because he didn't want to walk around the foot of the bed to go to the bathroom."

"Same here! Which means I have to walk around the foot of the bed to go to the bathroom! But I don't mind. In our last house, though it was the other way around. We switched places when we moved here."

Same exact answer as Lowspark! (And DH is left-handed; I'm right-handed, so we're both better for reaching the nightstands this way, too!)

I'm on the right, DH on left. It would make more sense for me to be on the left since my dresser is over there. I also sleep on my right side and like DH to be behind me/against me.

I have a thing with being on the right. I park my car on the right, ride roller coasters on the right, sleep on the right. :)

Never knew which side was such a big issue for folks! How about bunk beds? Then everyone gets a left and a right. You just have to figure out who should be on the top or bottom!

My dear hubby is right handed, but sleeps on my left while laying in bed. We are pretty much equidistant from the bathroom and door to the hall though the door to the sleep porch is just an end table away from my side of the bed. I think there's only been one home that we slept opposite and that was so I could get up during the night for the babies. I breast fed.

LOL at JanT in the hotel room!

DH sleeps to my right. Doesnt matter which side the bathroom is on, we have lived in 10 homes, he is always on the left side of the bed. We started this on our wedding night, he's right handed :>)

My husband sleeps on my right. That's the side that he's slept on regardless of where we have lived and where the bathroom is. I think perhaps the theory that hhireno put forward must have something to do with it. ;)
I sleep on my left side, but don't recall when that habit started.

DH sleeps to my right. When we first married, it was opposite. The reason for the switch was my pregnancies. It is supposedly better for the baby if the mom sleeps on her left side, so I ended up on the left so I faced the side of the bed. That also made it just a little easier to roll myself and my belly out of bed to get to the bathroom!

Love this discussion!

DH used to sleep on my right (lying on my back as you said). He is also right-handed. Now, like Lynn r ct, we are in separate rooms due to UNBELIEVABLY LOUD snoring. I realized that I was always tired and wondered if that was why-waking up all night. Now, I sleep beautifully and wake before the alarm. From time to time, I can still hear the snoring-lol.

Interesting thread and something I've never thot of before. In our bedroom I can place our bed on 3 different walls and often rearrange so my DH always sleeps closest to the door regardless of where the bed is. It makes me feel more secure altho that's ridiculous as the door is securely locked. We also sleep that way in hotels. So sometimes DH is on my right and sometimes on my left. I just now asked him which he prefers and he said it doesn't matter. Either he's ambidextrous or just easy to get along with - both I think!

I have not read all the responses but I am so glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks like this. My decision is the same as luckygal's -- I put DH between me and the door! My DH also doesn't care. We own two houses -- our regular house and a beach cottage -- and we sleep on different sides in each house because of where the door is located. BTW, neither house is in a crime-ridden area, and I have no reason to believe that anyone would break into our house for any reason, but somehow it still makes me feel better to have DH closest to the door!

DH sleeps to my left (while laying flat on my back). He is right handed, and definitely not the Svengali-type.

I am actually closer to the bathroom, but that wasn't ever a consideration as we have always slept in the same spots since we started sleeping together. Same sleep positions when we travel as well.

I like that my night stand is to my right as I am right-handed. DH has never complained about not having dominant hand access to his. I am a bedtime reader, he's not.

Have to say I am enjoying reading the responses and a bit surprised at the dominant hand theory.

Interesting thread!

Hubby loved hearing about this one -- especially the dominant hand theory.
His reply? "But Lefty likes to have some fun too!"

DH sleeps on my left (he's right-handed) and it's been that way since we've been married - 32 yrs.

When we've traveled I've asked him to sleep on the other side to be between me & the door. A couple times he tried, but he couldn't fall asleep. Me? I can sleep easily on either side.

DH currently sleeps on my left (right side of the bed as you face it from the foot) because it's closer to the door and his walking around on our "trampoline floors" shakes the whole room and wakes me up. We set up a "dressing room" for him in the guest room. Usually we put me on whichever side is closest to the bathroom. LOL If I sleep alone, I'm usually sprawled all over the queen-sized bed, or right smack in the middle!

DH no longer snores after his nose/throat surgery in December. Ah, blessed quiet. Before that I always wondered if plaster was going to start raining down on us. (Separate bedrooms has never been an option for us as I have extremely negative emotional associations with that... in my family, couples move into separate bedrooms when they don't like each other anymore but won't split up for whatever reason.) I do still wear earplugs to block out the sound of the dog snorfling around the room all night, street noise, etc. since I've been a light sleeper forever. I buy 'em by the case from earplugsuperstore.com.

I must say that I love the idea of a bathroom door on each side of the bed, so each person has to go an equal distance to the loo and neither one has to stumble around barking their shins in the dark. Just soundproof the hell out of the wall and use good solid doors.

My hubby is left handed and he sleeps to my left. But he claims he wants that spot because it is closest to the door and he would be able to protect me better in the event of the boogie man showing up. Works for me.

DH is on my right. He's right-handed and I'm left-handed. It's a win-win for both of us!!

I'm another one that likes having DH between me and the door. We have two homes as well and he sleeps on the left in one and the right in the other.

Beth

DH and I are both left-handed and he sleeps on my left side. He never cares what side he sleeps on and in strange places used to lie down where ever he wanted but after 39 years he knows that I can't sleep on the "other" side LOL so he always sleeps on the left. Of course that leaves my non-dominant hand free....guess it is a good thing I am ambidextrous :) c

right

My DH sleeps on the right side, he's right handed and I'm left handed, I like having the window on my side, and with the way our room is arranged, we both have equal access to the bathroom. I didn't see your other thread, so I'll just throw this in here, we've had times where we had separate bathrooms, and it was great, but I don't mind having a shared bathroom as well because we each have our own space.

My DH sleeps on my left; he's right handed. I have a need to always sleep closest to the door. I tease him that after 22 years of marriage I'm still not sure and may want to make a get away :) (I'm very sure) In resturants he always sits so his back is not to the door, he used to be a cop and wants to see who comes in - hearing the comments about being able to protect better closer to the door must not have entered his mind or he just lets me have my way.

Oh dear my husband is ambidextrois. What does that mean?????

Left or right. I guess that depends if I sleep on my
back or stomach or side...

I am foolishly confused. ; )
As for our bed. My DH is on my left side. But sometimes
we switch. I like to redecorate the room or move furniture
and so sometimes we switch places to sleep. I am not sure why.

The only thing we don't give up is our pillows. I have mine
and he has his.
~boxerpups

Great idea to have two bathrooms. My DH sleeps on my right & has for almost 30 yrs. not sure really why..., but it works!

My husband sleeps on my right. Oddly enough, it's always on the "door" side. Once, foolishly, we switched.... it was a horrible night sleep. :)

Fun! And interesting.

he is always to be closest to the door (meaning entry to the room door) It's a feeling of protection for me..

My husband says he too should be closer to the door. In our previous house he was on the other side because the door was there.

If we are in a hotel he will switch sides to be next to the door. He says if a burglar or axe murderer comes in he should be the first to get killed or at least die protecting me. Chivalrous!

My DH sleeps on my right and it has nothing to do with where the bathroom is. I read in bed at night and I prefer to have the light on my left side when I read. I have a small reading light on the night table on my left.

Oh, I just noticed...johnmari said;

DH no longer snores after his nose/throat surgery

Was it surgery FOR snoring? Someone in this house might need that. Tell me more!

Funny post! My DH has to sleep on the right side wherever we are. I don't have an attachment to the bed sides, so that works for us. But, on the other hand, he has no strong opinions on remodeling so I get to do it my way, which I love!

linnea56, snoring was part of the equation, but not the only reason DH had surgery (to be technical: septoplasty, turbinate reduction, tonsillectomy, partial resection of upper palate soft tissue). He had frequent rounds of tonsillitis and sinus infections that often spread to ear infections (which meant frequent antibiotics that trashed his gut no matter how much acidophilus he took), difficulty breathing through his nose, and airway constriction from swelling in the excessive soft tissue in the upper palate as well as the tonsils when he got a cold or hay fever. And yes, he snored to shake the rafters. Medications and other interventions weren't doing the job and he was miserable - and I wasn't too thrilled with the situation either - so he went the surgical route.

Have your household's snorer get a sleep study and be evaluated by an ENT, or ideally a few different ones. Many snorers have sleep apnea at dangerous levels (everyone has a few apneic episodes per night) which can have serious health ramifications. Surgery is usually the last resort for treating sleep apnea, typically when other routes like oral appliances and CPAP machines fail, because it's not reversible and it's not guaranteed to work. However, some snorers do not have what would be considered diagnosable sleep apnea and are just plain loud sleepers. DH's apnea episode count was so close to normal that he barely qualified for a diagnosis so our insurance would cover the surgery (thanks, Doc!); surgery specifically for snoring not accompanied by a diagnosis of sleep apnea is typically considered elective by insurers.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled decorating discussions...

My DH sleeps to my right, and is right handed. Interesting!

DH sleeps to my right, but he's left-handed. I guess we're the weirdo couple, because I'm the one who always has to sleep facing the door. I can't sleep otherwise. So we switch sides depending on where we're sleeping. At my parents and the in-laws he's on my left and at hotels it depends on where the door is. I guess I've always had more trust in myself to 'defend myself' or whatever the door-facing thing is. DH BTW thinks my door-facing need is weird, but has put up with it for over a decade.

He sleeps on my right.

right handed dh sleeps on my left. my boyfriend, otoh,...

just kidding.

Thanks, johnmari! My husband's doctor has actually ordered a sleep study, since he complains that he sleeps so badly. So far he is dragging his feet.

linnea56, my hubby opened or helped open a total of four sleep disorder labs around the country when they first became popular in the early eighties. He was one of the first one hundred Polysomnographic Technologist in the country. The tests are not invasive at all and most of the patient rooms aren't your typical hospital rooms but more like a nice hotel or at even homey feeling. Maybe he would feel more comfortable if could visit one during the day and talk to the specialist before having the test done. I know from what my hubby said, many patients are worried they won't be comfortable enough to sleep when hooked up to machines with electrodes. It's really not as bad as it seems.

"Not an issue for me because we have had separate bedrooms for the last 20 years - love it (my parents always did too). He snores and goes to bed at 9, I go to bed at 11ish and read a book or dec mag till 2 or 3. He likes the room cold and I like it slightly toasty, well, you get the picture."

This made me laugh--and I resemble that remark! My poor husband slept on my left for years, until our kids got to be teenagers. In all that time neither of us slept all that well; as with Lynne he is on farmer time, going to bed by 9 and up by 5:30 am while I go to bed later and wake up later. We are comfortable at different temperatures. I need ABSOLUTE quiet to get to sleep so even his breathing kept me up. He goes to sleep easily but any little noise-like my breathing-woke him. And so on. The last straw was the kids turning into vampires as they became teens. They not only stay up till all hours, they are up and down the hall, on their phones, using their computers and tvs...and in our ranch house the bedrooms are separated by literally a couple of feet.

A year or so ago he decamped to the day bed in our florida room which is at the farthest and most quiet end of the house. It has been bliss for all. He goes to sleep early, the kids do their thing and I've been able to discover the joy of reading in bed in the evening. We both sleep so much better and at the risk of TMI...now that our kids are old enough and independent enough to be out most weekend evenings, our private life together is better than ever :).

Ahem. A long winded answer and a detour but truly, living like royalty with separate bedchambers has been nothing but good in our house!

Ann