It begins with two people, one blanket, and two very different ideas of what’s a comfortable sleeping temperature. By midnight, one partner is hot and sweaty while the other is freezing.

Sounds familiar? You’re not alone.

Many couples have nightly arguments over blankets or doonas, bedroom temperature and differing sleep habits. Poor sleep and relationship strain can follow.

So it’s no wonder couples are curious about the “Scandinavian sleep method”, which is having a moment on social media.

But what is it? And will it end your nightly “doona drama”, as TikTok suggests?

What is the Scandinavian sleep method?

This is a sleeping arrangement for couples who share a bed. But rather than sharing bedding, each has their own blanket or doona.

This arrangement allows couples to continue sleeping together while meeting each person’s individual needs. It offers a balance between sleeping together and sleeping apart.

As the name suggests, it’s said to be a popular in Scandinavian countries. It reflects the preferences of many couples who value both intimacy (sharing a bed) and personal sleep comfort (their own blanket or doona).

Now many couples from non-Scandinavian countries say trying the Scandinavian sleep method has been a game-changer for their sleep.

Does it really work?

Most research on how couples sleep focuses on broader factors. These include the sleep environment (whether it’s safe, quiet or dark), temperature and routines, rather than whether couples share a blanket.

In the absence of research specifically testing “two blankets vs one blanket” it is hard to check if the Scandinavian sleep method is scientifically valid.

However, this method has many aspects that align with healthy sleep practices. So there’s reasonable evidence to suggest it could reduce the type of sleep disturbances you can get from sharing a blanket with your partner.

I’m hot, you’re cold

The body’s internal clock manages daily rhythms in core body temperature, which drops when you fall asleep. And different bedding materials can influence your sleep by affecting your skin and body temperature.

For instance, different fibre types can affect how quickly you fall asleep or the amount of deep sleep you get. Blankets that are too hot and raise your body temperature can also affect your sleep.

But night time body temperature patterns can vary with age, body composition, hormones, and whether you’re a morning or evening person. These contribute to whether you’re a hot sleeper or a cold sleeper, and can explain why you need different types of bedding to your partner.

Hot sleepers generally prefer lightweight, breathable fabrics, whereas cold sleepers tend towards heavier, insulating fabrics that trap heat.

Individuals may also prefer different bedding for other reasons. Someone with heightened sensory awareness or skin sensitivities might favour more natural, smooth fibres. Or they may opt for weighted blankets to provide a calming effect that helps reduce anxiety or sensory processing issues.

With the Scandinavian sleep method, each person can choose the type of bedding that suits them best.

My feet are cold

For female-male bed partners, sex differences in night time core body temperature patterns can lead to one person shivering while the other sweats under the same cover.

Women’s hands and feet often have lower skin temperatures, as their body prioritises keeping their internal organs warm. This can explain why women might want to tuck their hands and feet in under the doona or blanket, while their male partner is happy to stick theirs out.

Women may also reach their lowest night time body temperature earlier in the night than men. As women age and transition to menopause, they might experience hot flushes and night sweats, which often disturb sleep.

These differences in temperature regulation mean men and women usually have varying preferences for their ideal temperature for sleeping.

I was almost asleep!

If you have insomnia, your sleep can be disturbed by your partner’s noise or movement. Your sleep can also be disturbed by your partner’s influence over the sleep environment – whether they watch TV or use their phone in bed, or if they sleep with the lights on.

Female partners report being disturbed more often by their male partner’s movement than the other way around.

So separate bedding may help minimise someone’s sleep being disturbed when partners go to bed and wake at different times. And as each person has their own bedding, it would also avoid the disturbed sleep that would arise when one person “hogs the blanket”.

What’s the verdict?

For couples who have poor sleep due to conflicting comfort needs – whether it’s blanket-hogging, different temperature preferences, restlessness or misaligned sleep schedules – the Scandinavian sleep method seems to offer a practical and affordable solution.

It allows you to manage your microclimate to suit your body’s needs.

But sleeping with a separate doona or blanket can make it harder to make the bed and make bedtime cuddles more tricky. Unless you have a queen-size or bigger bed, they might also be tough to balance on the bed without one sliding off.

While the Scandinavian sleep method appears promising, it certainly isn’t a game-changer. Until there is research evidence, it should be best regarded as a practical “sleep hygiene hack” rather than a scientifically tested sleep method.

Yaqoot Fatima, Professor of Sleep Health, University of the Sunshine Coast; Danielle Wilson, Research Fellow and sleep scientist, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Nisreen Aouira, Research Program Manager, Let’s Yarn About Sleep, Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Oral retinoids are a type of medicine used to treat severe acne. They’re sold under the brand name Roaccutane, among others.

While oral retinoids are very effective, they can have harmful effects if taken during pregnancy. These medicines can cause miscarriages and major congenital abnormalities (harm to unborn babies) including in the brain, heart and face. At least 30% of children exposed to oral retinoids in pregnancy have severe congenital abnormalities.

Neurodevelopmental problems (in learning, reading, social skills, memory and attention) are also common.

Because of these risks, the Australasian College of Dermatologists advises oral retinoids should not be prescribed a month before or during pregnancy under any circumstances. Dermatologists are instructed to make sure a woman isn’t pregnant before starting this treatment, and discuss the risks with women of childbearing age.

But despite this, and warnings on the medicines’ packaging, pregnancies exposed to oral retinoids continue to be reported in Australia and around the world.

In a study published this month, we wanted to find out what proportion of Australian women of reproductive age were taking oral retinoids, and how many of these women were using contraception.

Our results suggest a high proportion of women are not using effective contraception while on these drugs, indicating Australia needs a strategy to reduce the risk oral retinoids pose to unborn babies.

Contraception options

Using birth control to avoid pregnancy during oral retinoid treatment is essential for women who are sexually active. Some contraception methods, however, are more reliable than others.

Long-acting-reversible contraceptives include intrauterine devices (IUDs) inserted into the womb (such as Mirena, Kyleena, or copper devices) and implants under the skin (such as Implanon). These “set and forget” methods are more than 99% effective.

The effectiveness of oral contraceptive pills among “perfect” users (following the directions, with no missed or late pills) is similarly more than 99%. But in typical users, this can fall as low as 91%.

Condoms, when used as the sole method of contraception, have higher failure rates. Their effectiveness can be as low as 82% in typical users.

Oral retinoid use over time

For our study, we analysed medicine dispensing data among women aged 15–44 from Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) between 2013 and 2021.

We found the dispensing rate for oral retinoids doubled from one in every 71 women in 2013, to one in every 36 in 2021. The increase occurred across all ages but was most notable in young women.

Most women were not dispensed contraception at the same time they were using the oral retinoids. To be sure we weren’t missing any contraception that was supplied before the oral retinoids, we looked back in the data. For example, for an IUD that lasts five years, we looked back five years before the oral retinoid prescription.

Our analysis showed only one in four women provided oral retinoids were dispensed contraception simultaneously. This was even lower for 15- to 19-year-olds, where only about one in eight women who filled a prescription for oral retinoids were dispensed contraception.

A recent study found 43% of Australian year 10 and 69% of year 12 students are sexually active, so we can’t assume this younger age group largely had no need for contraception.

One limitation of our study is that it may underestimate contraception coverage, because not all contraceptive options are listed on the PBS. Those options not listed include male and female sterilisation, contraceptive rings, condoms, copper IUDs, and certain oral contraceptive pills.

But even if we presume some of the women in our study were using forms of contraception not listed on the PBS, we’re still left with a significant portion without evidence of contraception.

What are the solutions?

Other countries such as the United States and countries in Europe have pregnancy prevention programs for women taking oral retinoids. These programs include contraception requirements, risk acknowledgement forms and regular pregnancy tests. Despite these programs, unintended pregnancies among women using oral retinoids still occur in these countries.

But Australia has no official strategy for preventing pregnancies exposed to oral retinoids. Currently oral retinoids are prescribed by dermatologists, and most contraception is prescribed by GPs. Women therefore need to see two different doctors, which adds costs and burden.

Rather than a single fix, there are likely to be multiple solutions to this problem. Some dermatologists may not feel confident discussing sex or contraception with patients, so educating dermatologists about contraception is important. Education for women is equally important.

A clinical pathway is needed for reproductive-aged women to obtain both oral retinoids and effective contraception. Options may include GPs prescribing both medications, or dermatologists only prescribing oral retinoids when there’s a contraception plan already in place.

Some women may initially not be sexually active, but change their sexual behaviour while taking oral retinoids, so constant reminders and education are likely to be required.

Further, contraception access needs to be improved in Australia. Teenagers and young women in particular face barriers to accessing contraception, including costs, stigma and lack of knowledge.

Many doctors and women are doing the right thing. But every woman should have an effective contraception plan in place well before starting oral retinoids. Only if this happens can we reduce unintended pregnancies among women taking these medicines, and thereby reduce the risk of harm to unborn babies.

Dr Laura Gerhardy from NSW Health contributed to this article.

Antonia Shand, Research Fellow, Obstetrician, University of Sydney and Natasha Nassar, Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology and Chair in Translational Childhood Medicine, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.