The prosecution: Pádraig
double quotation markI sleep better on the left side of the bed. I shouldn’t have to swap just because we’ve moved to a new flat
My partner Dave and I are two stubborn boys who both adore a great night’s sleep. But we cannot settle a disagreement about which side of the bed belongs to whom. We’ve recently moved into a new flat and the orientation of our room and bed has shifted. Now, the side of the bed I assumed was mine has become Dave’s.We lived in our old flat for three and a half years. We slept like kings there: a humongous bed and individual duvets, which our Swedish friend had recommended for a good night’s sleep. I was on the left side (if you were standing at the foot of the bed facing it). I felt well rested and got into a great sleep routine.Due to the orientation of our new bedroom, Dave wants to be furthest from the door, so I’m now sleeping on the right side and he is on the left. He thinks the sides we sleep on should be interchangeable, depending on where the door is, but I say the left side is mine, no matter what. So I’ve been forced to sleep on what I deem to be the wrong side for the last few months. I find it challenging to fall asleep and can’t get used to it.I commute further to work and get up before Dave, so he thinks I should be closer to the door so I don’t disrupt him. I pack all my stuff the night before and leave it outside the room to avoid waking him up, so I don’t feel it makes much difference.I’m a sensitive sleeper and it’s a big thing to retrain yourself to sleep on a different side of the bed. I slept so well before. Now I’m tossing and turning, trying to sleep on a side of my body that feels unnatural. In the night, Dave and I move closer and closer to our old sides and bump into each other in the middle. My sleep is disturbed. I want to swap back.Every time we go on holiday or sleep somewhere else for the night, we repeat this battle, depending on how the room is laid out. We are in between places at the moment and I don’t know what will happen when we move again. I want an opportunity to get my side back.The defence: Dave
