You can’t deny that it’s a thing. Whether you’re sleeping next to someone you’re used to sharing a bed with, or a different person every night (I’m not one to judge) – if you’ve got less than three feet of space to share, you’re pretty much guaranteed to wake up the next morning with The Single Bed Hangover.

You know the feeling – you started the night out snuggled and cosy (or stumbled into bed ready to pass out for 24 hours), but instead you wake up in the morning feeling distinctly sticky and very sleep deprived.

But what makes it so bad? Most obviously, the lack of space makes moving at all a dangerous game: you risk falling out of the bed, rolling onto your partner or straight into a wall. Whilst I count myself among those who sleep like a log, I can’t say the same for everyone and sleeping next to someone who tosses and turns leaves you staring at the ceiling dreading the unavoidable lack of productivity that follows the next day. The night itself can feel like somewhat of a wrestling match, and as the smaller party, I rarely win. You'll inevitably get fed up and initiate the awkward ‘roll over and crush any chance of intimacy’.

But it’s not only the lack of space, it’s the feeling of being cooked alive – even in the depths of winter. You’ll be lucky if you wake up with your limbs to yourself, but most likely you and the person next to you will be firmly stuck together. If you're not that familiar with each other, detangling your sweaty limbs in the unforgiving morning light isn’t a pretty sight or feeling.

"Roll over and crush any chance of intimacy"

Don’t even get me started on the duvet wars. I’ll give you a bit of advice: save yourself the trouble and accept that neither of you is going to be completely comfortable or happy, no matter the outcome of your 2am tug-of-war. 

Having shared a bed with my boyfriend for over a year and a half, let me warn you that this doesn’t get better with time. Look forward to arguing with someone who insists they’ve never snored once (despite all the evidence to the contrary) – attempting to fall asleep to his dulcet tones is not in my top ten experiences. And believe me, I’ve tried ear plugs.

But the icing on the cake is the moment when I “wake up” after three pitiful hours of disturbed sleep to find that my companion got a full eight hours.