You've been running crazy all day -- you can't remember the last time you had a few minutes alone with that guy you call your mate. But now you've got eight delicious hours together. And -- bonus -- there'll be no phone calls, no faxes and no e-mails. Yes, it's bedtime.
Will you spend your night in blissful harmony? Alas, only in your dreams. The love of your life and the father of your children is also a cover-stealing, bed-hogging, snoring snooze-wrecker. These days your most common bedroom fantasies revolve around smothering him with a pillow. His sleep style and yours just don't match -- and you're ready to declare war. Luckily, you can restore peace in the Land of Nod.
The lark
(the eager early riser)
He's up and at 'em with the birds, but you would rather stay in bed until noon. And you could if he didn't wake you up by being so darn chirpy at the crack of dawn. Then, just when you peak after dark, he wants to turn out the lights. He says it's late. You say, sure, in Bombay. Here, it's not even midnight yet!
A recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation in the United States found that about 55 per cent of us are larks and about 41 per cent night owls. Birds of a different feather can try to fiddle with each other's bio clocks, but current scientific thinking suggests that sleep patterns are hardwired in our genes (so blame your in-laws).
What to do
Instead of trying to change your lovebird, meet him halfway. Put his clothes in the bathroom at night so he can dress in the morning without disturbing you. And buy a book light so you can read into the wee hours.
