Disruptive partner and insomnia
A person that suffers from a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, sleep talking or rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD) can negatively affect the sleep of their partner. Sleep apnea (obstruction of air) usually causes snoring, restless leg syndrome causes wild leg movements, sleep talking causes noise and RBD involves a person acting out violent dreams in physical movements. When a person’s sleep disorders cross over and affect their partner’s sleep, tensions and frustrations arise.
Handling this situation depends on the particular sleep disorder(s) involved. For sleep apnea a number of solutions exist including changing sleep positions, e.g., sleeping on one’s side, as well as using specialized breathing devices.