If you share a bed, sooner or later your partner is going to mess up your sleep. Whether it’s due to some serious snoring or simply a difference in your schedules, you’ll eventually be on the receiving end of a rude awakening courtesy of your sweetie pie. And if you’re a woman? Well, it turns out that you’re much more likely to be disturbed by your partner than a man is.

What can you do to keep blanket battles at bay and make sure you both get a good night’s sleep? Try these tips to stop common bed sharing problems in their tracks.

Snoring, Snuffles and Sniffles

If your partner has a cold or the flu and is keeping you awake with nose blowing and coughing, one of you should sleep on the couch. This is a temporary fix to a temporary snafu, but it’s also one that could keep you from getting sick, too. It’s up to you who has to hit the road, but the ailing person may find that propping themselves up with a bunch of pillows against the arm of the couch may help alleviate sinus pressure enough to fall asleep.

If your partner is a regular snorer, you may need to take more drastic measures. Try using a wedge pillow to encourage side sleeping and see a doctor to rule out any serious conditions like sleep apnea. If nothing works – or if you’re super sensitive – you can try wearing soft foam earplugs to block out the noise.

Reading With the Light On

If you’re the early to bed, early to rise type and your partner is a night owl, getting your schedules in sync can be a real challenge. Going to bed at the same time can reduce some disturbances, but if your partner loves to read, leaving the light on can make it hard for you to fall asleep. The best solution here is to purchase an inexpensive clip-on book light. It shines directly in the page – not in your eyes.

TVs, Laptops and Other Gadgets

The blue light emitted from your television and other screens can wreak havoc on your sleep cycles, so it’s best to banish these from the bedroom entirely. Still, if your partner wants to watch while you’re ready for some shut-eye, try having them switch to their phone and use headphones. This will keep the noise level as low as possible, and it’s much easier to hide the light from a small screen with a blanket or pillow.

Physical Partner Disturbances

Does your bed move every time your partner does? Sometimes your partner’s every move has the power to wake you up, and this is so common that the mattress industry even has a special name for it: partner disturbance. Partner disturbance happens when your partner gets in or out of bed, or even just changes position. If you feel every little adjustment, a mattress with motion separation properties is a good investment. Consider a foam mattress or a spring mattress with individually wrapped coils for best results.

Like anything else in your relationship, getting a good night’s sleep in a shared bed may take some practice. Discuss your needs with a sense of humor and an open mind, and you should be able to reach a compromise that allows both of you get the sleep you deserve.