Interiors

Try the Scandinavian Sleep Method for a Great Night’s Sleep

A minimalist bedroom features a double bed with two duvets, crisp white bedding, and two pillows. A bedside table adorned with flowers complements the floor lamp and large poster on the wall, while a lush plant thrives by the window.

Duvet. Doona. Comforter. Dyne, in Danish. Duntäcke, in Swedish.

Regardless of what you call your bed covering, you’ve likely experienced sleep problems due to of one person pulling the duvet all the way over to his side. And then you pull it back. And then he, with the elegance of a bear with his head in a honeypot, pulls it in just such a way that your feet are completely uncovered and you can’t sleep due to impending hypothermia (also, yes, you’re dramatic).

Or maybe your sleeping-partner, who during the day seems to function like a normal warm-blooded human, has a furnace-like body temperature throughout the night and she manages to emit heat waves so violent that you fear third-degree burns.

Perhaps your rest-mate is a night-farter. It happens.

Whatever your particular reason is for hating sleeping next to someone (admit it! You hate it sometimes!), the Scandinavian sleep method holds the answer to sleeping better and fighting less (about the duvets, that is). Better sleep means not only more sleep, but better sleep experience and quality, and less sleep disruptions. So, have you tried the Scandinavian sleep method yet in order to sleep comfortably? It’s not complicated, we promise. It’s not sleeping in separate rooms, or even separate beds!

Two individual duvets. That’s it! THAT. IS. IT.

We should all just sleep under separate duvets? It’s so simple that it’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?

Popular in Scandinavian countries, this sleep hack simply means using separate blankets. Two separate comforters might look a bit funny at first for those who have only experienced the one-duvet system, like two squishy caterpillars on a picnic blanket. But then the enormity of meaning dawns. This means…no, could it mean? THE WAR IS OVER.

 

A white bed in a room with a window.

 


 

Sleeping together doesn’t magically morph the two of you into some kind of double-headed monster or baby-monkey-clinging-to-its-mama’s-back situation. You are still two individuals with your own sleep styles. It is liberating to be reminded of the fact that it’s okay to have different sleep styles.

We get so used to things as they are, don’t we? It’s so easy to assume that all bed partners just use one large duvet because that’s what you’ve always seen.

It was on your parents’ bed and your grandparents’ bed and pretty much every other bed you’ve ever seen. You’ve always had your own side of the bed, and your own sleep positions, so why not your own separate duvets?

So when you’re ready to go to sleep, retire separately to the same bed. The “cold sleepers” get their heavy thermal down blanket under which a kind of biodome forms. The “warm sleepers” throw their flimsy little cotton blankets over the bottom half of their legs. These differences are irreconcilable, and each are important to one’s sleep health and sleep hygiene.

These aren’t moral issues. Wake up in the morning, body temperature properly regulated, and gently fluff two duvets over the bed instead of one when you make your bed.

It seems like a small issue, but it will undoubtedly make life better and end fighting over the covers. There may not be such a thing as perfect sleep (at least not something you can achieve forever): if you’ve been laboring/not sleeping under the apprehension that consistently sharing a bed with another person means that you have to compromise, you’re right. There’s snoring and night-terrors and flailing limbs and alarm-clock issues to sort through.

You don’t need to compromise on your duvet. Scandinavian countries are bringing you a better night’s sleep and better sleep quality, making the bed a place of harmony rather than acrimony.

Get the sleep you deserve using the Scandinavian sleep method. Couples sleep better due to an improved and individualized sleep environment that will make you excited to get into bed.

How to use the Scandinavian sleep method with two twin duvets 

The Scandinavian sleep method isn’t difficult to enact and the method allows for optimal sleep! To make a bed with two duvets, you need put on the duvet covers, then fold the two single duvets in half length-ways and lay them next to each other on the bed. You can forgo a top sheet.

If your bed is very wide, you might not need to fold the duvet or comforter in half, because hey can look rather odd as two long sleeping bags on the bed. It can be nice to add a throw to the bottom of the mattress, if you want to disguise the look a little. This is how Scandis often arrange their bedding, and it’s easy to pull up a blanket from the bottom of the bed for extra warmth.

Alternatively, you can make your bed using the duvets on top of each other.  The Scandinavian way is about having both duvets, not necessarily how you organize them on the bed.

If you’re not a fan of how the duvets look on their own, we recommend a full-sized blanket or bed cover to pull over the duvets, which covers it all up while keeping the bed looking sleek and stylish.

 

 

What is the best duvet for the viral Scandinavian sleep method?

 

 

In the USA? We recommend this best duvet insert

Brooklinen is our favorite. In the US, high quality twin duvets can be difficult to find. Brooklinen has some super warm, fluffy and lightweight comforters. In addition, all their products come with a lifetime warranty. Grab two of these instead of launching into a full-on “sleep divorce” (sleeping in separate beds or rooms).

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Brooklinen

 

In Europe and the UK? We recommend

You can’t go wrong with the classic Quilts of Denmark duvet, widely considered one of the best brands in Scandinavia. Our Creative Director loves their Venø duvet, made with duck down, for all year round.

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Quilts of Denmark

 

 


 

European Duvet Sizes

In Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, the duvets have the same standard measurements as the rest of Europe (except the UK, which is slightly shorter, but the same in IKEA).

Single / Twin Duvet Size

90 cm x 200 cm

Extra long single Duvet

99 cm x 200 cm

King single Duvet Size

140 cm x 200 cm (very popular with the two duvet system)

Double Duvet Size

200 cm x 200 cm

Queen Duvet Size

240 cm x 220 cm

King Duvet Size

260 cm x 220 cm
 

Fun fact

The modern duvet was invented in the 1970s by a Danish company called Ringsted Dun. They developed a duvet made from synthetic fibers that could be easily washed and dried, making them more hygienic and convenient. Now that’s Scandinavian style!

 


 

US Duvet Sizes

Note that the twin size is also commonly referred to as Twin XL. Also, the California King size is not as commonly used as the other sizes.

Twin / Twin XL Duvet Size

68″ x 86″ (173 cm x 218 cm)

Full / Double Duvet Size

86″ x 86″ (218 cm x 218 cm)

Queen Duvet Size

90″ x 90″ (229 cm x 229 cm)

King Duvet Size

104″ x 90″ (264 cm x 229 cm)

California King Duvet Size

108″ x 98″ (274 cm x 249 cm)

 
 


 

Weighted Blankets in Scandinavia

Looking for a weighted blanket? We recommend Hugged, who make high-quality and affordable weighted blankets in both 5 kg and 7 kg.

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Weighted Blankets

 

 
  

As for Scandinavian Bedding

Check out the best Scandinavian bedding brands!

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Last edited

Rebecca Thandi Norman

Rebecca Thandi Norman is a co-founder and Editor-in-Chief at Scandinavia Standard.