Dressing in the dark

anne

I'm wondering how many others of you share a bedroom with someone who has a different sleeping cycle and how that impacts on your dressing habits?

I have a few adaptations that I've made, but my fantasy is a separate dressing room. Maybe when a kid leaves home!

8 years ago

General

12 replies

Latest reply was from anne

Lucy

Veteran

Oh yes! When we lived in Sydney I used to leave for work super early one day per week. I used to shower the night before (not my favourite!), then get dressed in the lounge room and use the main bathroom rather than the ensuite. That seemed to work well enough, but it did require getting EVERYTHING organised the night before
A separate dressing room would be the DREAM !

8 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Anne that can be challenging! My DH is usually up before me and we have a bit of a routine in the mornings that works quite well. We share an en suite which I use to shower and do my make up but I use our main bathroom for drying/styling my hair because he hates the noise of the hairdryer... of course we are lucky to have two bathrooms to be able to do that.

On the rare occasions that I have to be up and out really early, I organise everything the night before and lay it all out in the spare room, one of the benefits of being a one child family I guess

8 years ago

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

Our adaptation involved separate bedrooms. We've both been sleeping well ever since, getting dressed in the morning is a non-issue, and it has made our relationship so much better in many ways (because sleep deprivation is a catalyst in many arguments and divorces, even though people tend to blame other things).

8 years ago

Anonymous

Most of the time DH is up before I am. We both lay everything out the night before. I have a pull-out rod in the closet on which I hang what I am going to wear so that I don't have to think about it early in the morning.

8 years ago

Sara L.

Veteran

I get up before DH so I put my clothes in the en suite bathroom the night before. I shower and get ready in the bathroom. He says the blow dryer doesn't bother him as long as I keep the door closed. He's usually up around the time I'm done getting ready. I can turn the light on to get shoes before I leave.

8 years ago

Anonymous

I do, and it's been the bane of my existence ever since it started. DH gets home from work around 2:30 am and sleeps at least until noon. Unless I remember to pull out everything I need for the next day and lay it out nicely, I am wearing some odd combination of what I can pull out of the drawers without making noise. I find it has affected what I wear (this started about a year ago) dramatically , and has also taken the interest out of puttering around in my closet and looking at stuff - because I can't do it until later in the day when the time isn't right. It's all weird.

8 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Sometimes, I love being single! Sorry ladies, I feel your pain!

8 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

Yep! I am up before my hubby by almost an hour. I lay out all of my clothes and accessories the night before and get dressed by the light of the hallway. Not really a huge issue for me unless I change my mind about what I want to wear during the night We do have a spare bedroom now but I don't know if I want it to be a dressing room, sewing room or leave as a spare room.

8 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

This happened all the time when I was Nursing but luckily the uniform was easy-peasy.
Noise was an issue though and DH was disturbed by the early morning shower.
I have more recently though gone to work with mis-matched earrings when not turning on the light so as not to disturb him.

8 years ago

Anonymous

I wake up, bathe and get dressed before my DH does. I don't "dress in the dark," but I do lay my clothing and accessories out the night before. Luckily, our closet is right off the Master bathroom, so I don't have to go out into the bedroom to get my things.

Once I'm dressed and ready to go, I use a small flashlight to find my way from the bathroom to the bedroom door that leads into the hallway. That way, I can get out without having to turn the bedroom light on. This seems to work well.

8 years ago

cindysmith

Veteran

We're building the closet separate from the bedroom so he doesn't disturb me when he goes hunting and I don't wake him when I have to leave early.

8 years ago

anne

Veteran

I suspected I wasn't alone and I was right about that. Thanks so much for sharing. Definitely some ideas here that I hadn't thought of.

Lucy I have had my share of dressing in the family room! I do it for preference in winter anyway, because that is w (here the heater is. (Our lounge has a door and windown on to the street, so not so ideal!)
.
Deborah What does your DH do avoiding disturb you? I am usually the first one up, but yesterday, before I began the thread, DH was. I was particularly annoyed by turning the light on (even dimmed) and sitting down on the bed several times to put socks and shoes on, both things I try to avoid. I know his sleep does suffer even so.

Alexandra Interesting solution. I do occasionally sleep on the couch but usually it is either extremely hot and I can't cope with additional body heat, or I have a bad cough. I sometimes say that sleep cycle discrepancy is the biggest problem in our marriage - but we have a great marriage so that isn't saying it is a big problem.

Joy and everyone else who lays clothes out/ puts it in the ensuite. - I do admire that, but don't manage it that often. The problem is that often at night I'm way too tired to think. My workout clothes are often in the ensuite anyway though, as I dry them out there.

LisaP what you wrote resonated with me the most! "also taken the interest out of puttering around in my closet and looking at stuff - because I can't do it until later in the day when the time isn't right. " Yes, absolutely!! Also to just pulling something, anything on in the morning! Your discrepancy is way worse than mine though! At least I get to see my husband in the early evening.

Khris

Lyn D - I have gone out with only 1 earring!

BC - a closet off the bathroom is what I'd love. I like your flashlight idea too. My FIL loves torches (as we call them in Aus) and is always bring them out where I wouldn't have thought of them. Great idea.

Cindy - sensible idea for your new little house.

8 years ago

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