Two Duvets are better than One : Sleeping the German way

Have you ever wondered what is the sleeping patterns that most Germans do?

Life in Germany ; Two beds are really better than one!

Let´s start with the bedroom and most especially with their beddings.This is an Expat Lifestyle Blog so I think it´s just appropriate that I share with you my early experiences from basic things once we moved here for good last 2016.Germany is a land of many contradictions and really one of a kind things that still so many from the rest of world doesn´nt know. Youl´ll only know once you personally experience it.

Culture Shock :  Two beds, Two Duvets , no top covers.

I was totally surprised, shocked and amazed and the big question of Why is glued in both my face and in my mind. I will tell you why about my dilemma.While on our holiday in Rhineland -Palatinate and Trier last 2015, I was totally shocked to see how our beds in the hotel that we´re staying were made. Two single mattresses in one bed frame, with two duvets on top, with two giant square pillows punched in the middle . Nice touch ! and yes, no covers. Same as the one I observe in Austria.In my experiences as well in the Netherlands, it is exactly the same thing. Two beds, large pillows and two blanket and duvets.

The Dutch husband even told me that the beds can even be folded on a height that you like. All I can say was , Why oh why?

This is not-so-Asian! No, defintely not, not even middle-eastern. Scandinavian style, definitely and yes, the absolute German way of sleeping.I have heard stories from friends that they have the same stories when they realized this. I came from Asia, in the Philippines, this is definitely not the way we made our beds and how we sleep. We have normal mattress, then we have a bed covering, we don´t use Duvets because it is very hot and humid and not all houses have air conditioning so normally, we have thinner blankets.But the standard is, you have one bed, one bed covering, and one blanket.It is shared by couples. If you are single, then you have a single set of beddings as well. Back in Kuwait, we used the ” normal” beddings and bed as well, never like this. We have a giant king size bed and and so goes with the duvets, and normal pillows.

Your Bed is made to your personal delight!

I ponder on this matter and thought how it originated but I couldn’t find any material. Maybe for cleanliness purposes since I notice that Germans love to hang their duvets from their window to ‘air’, a typical scene I have  also seen in Kuwait. My neighbor does this even during winter. But dirty air or wind can even make it dirtier, don’t you think? We have efficient washing machines here but I guess the size of Duvets cannot just fit totally to it so at least just hang it in the windows!

My daughter loves to play with the giant pillows which I really hate!

Maybe for more comfort, and less ‘tug-of-war‘  scenarios? I also remembered that I used to pull blankets when I feel cold or something so there is really a thug of war going on. Could this even led why Germany has a low birth -rate? or a presumably relationship-killer? Some say it’s funny seeing you sleeping like cocooned caterpillars next to each other.

Another thing, how does the fun happens?

Or what if your partner is a night-farter? Or a back or side sleeper? The options are so many! It can happen, and its perfectly normal but can be a total mood buster when both of you and your partner are not aggreeing about the beddings. Or what if  you’re the type to stick out a foot while sleeping? I , for example loves to sleep on the left side of the bed and I like blankets fully covering my toes.

Whatever the reasons behind it, there must be something to it that clicks.To think that not only Germany have this thing, but also other countries like  Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Finland — they all love  having two duvets on one bed.

English and American people tend to tuck their duvets under the mattress so that you can slip in from the top. Germans would hardly acquire a taste for this nighttime covering. Germans, as I have learned and confirmed, are not accustomed to share a duvet with their Ehepartner (spouse) or Lebensgefährte (partner in life). Germans need a duvet to be twisted and turned. This can only be guaranteed when each person has got his or her own duvet for the night. This is the ultimate answer that I personally learned once we lived here. Now I exactly understand why it is like that and why does it makes sense. Bottomline, don´t take it as a cold feet or snob thing, Germans really have a way to make everything in life easy–with their all sorts of inventions and interventions!

When we move here in Germany, we got a new bed  and of course, my husband love this idea  so much so we opted to get 2 beds to fit in one bed frame. The most common standard size for German mattresses is 90 by 200 cm for singles and 180 by 200 cm for couples.I find it very practical as well.

Oversized pillows, Two duvets in two separate beds, but since this is an Interracial bedroom, I have my own preference in pillows.

The English language has a variety of names to denote particular bed sizes: Cot, Single, Small Double or Three Quarter, Double, Queen, King, Super King, etc., which I find similar to the middle east. I think all the beds there is fit for a king! The German language, however, is more pragmatic in this way. They don’t have any nice-sounding words for the various bed sizes. Here, shopping for beds comes easy.For example, by using either measurements or conventional adjectives such as Klein (small) and groß (large).

Duvets for  different season . One for Winter and one for Summer

The ordinary German Matratze (mattress) measures 90 cm (3ft) breadthways and 200 cm (6ft 6″) lengthways. This ordinary mattress is used for a single bed frame – which makes it a Einzelbett (Single). When two of these mattresses are put together they make a Doppelbett (Double) or Ehebett (marriage bed).

Some singles who don’t have to share their bed with another person opt for a bed size, which is larger than the ordinary 90 cm (3ft) by 200 cm (6ft 6″) mattress. Germans refer to this as a großes Einzelbett (large single bed). It’s measures: 140 cm (4ft 6″) by 200 cm (6ft 6″). German couples who think the common lying surface of 180 cm (5ft 9″) by 200 cm (6ft 6″) – two single mattresses put together – is still too small for a restful sleep can also opt for a mattress that measures 200 cm by 200 cm (6ft 6″) or two mattresses that measure 100 cm (3ft 3″) by 200 cm – which makes it ein großes Doppelbett (a large Double).

Does this tickle your interest? Here I find more interesting facts about sleeping and the way German prefer how their beds being done.

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  A photo I got from Internet showing the common underlinings of a typical bed frame here in Germany. It is actually made of hard wood that are connected together with a band that makes it elastic and flexible. See it can even be adjusted to a height that suits you. Your partner can sleep while you read!

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  Germans have everything for those who wants to improvise the beddings. Just like this separator in between beds that you can attached to create a flat surface.

The Decke ( Blankets and coverings)

Once you have your foam mattress and latenrost all set up, next come the bedlinens. Fitted sheets are easy enough. They are readily available in most shops .They are called Spannbetttüche and available is any color and several various fabrics. You match your bed size to the package and your bed is covered. So if you have 2 separate mattress, you get two pieces as well. I’m telling you, I sweat when I am making our bed with all these multiple linens. But in the end, I find it more and more practical.

Latenrost

There are no box springs here in Germany , well at least we don´t use it. The non-mattress spring support is called a Lattenrost. This is a set of bent wooden slats that are bouncy all held in a frame that goes under the mattress. The lattenrost come in different “bouncy-ness”s as well. Some are even articulated to allow sitting up in bed. I saw one time when we were shopping for my daughter´s new room that the box type of beds are more expensive and they have another specifications.I only write from what I personally used and tried so I dont really know yet the difference.

Pillows and sizes

Now here we come to the trickiest part. I love my pillows to be a bit firm and not sloppy. I don´t like soft pillows, I just can´t sleep with it and the large square ones are a total nightmare for me. Many times I am in agony when sleeping over or when I forget to bring my pillow. With this problem, I even brought my pillows from Kuwait that I still used here now. My husband also uses a different size, he likes the simple 40 x 80 cm but then I prefer another. In Germany, they use huge square pillows instead of small rectangular ones, it’s as simple as that but not really if you have your usual pillows. Their size is also different from Throw Pillows. You can’t find pillow case that can fit to it. So if you are moving to Germany, you better bring loads of spare ones or you can always buy online for your own preferences. I think the square ones are for decorative purposes—-I can´t survive with it!!

Here in Germany, it’s all about function, it’s not the new fashion fad in sleeping but there are reasons why you need to resolve into this for better sleeping. I think it’s good for your back as well. We are a fan of Ikea things because I think they have practical furnitures as well as trandy ones.Besides, when you move from one country or another, you take things lights considering the cost of moving furnitures. Take a look at Ikea tips for good sleeping options  to help you on your next bed shopping!

Also, I found some great reading why Two Duvets in one bed is really the answer for a better sleep. Check these Links out;

Scandinavian Style : Two Duvets on one Bed 

Our hearts beats as one when we sleep in two Duvets

How about you, what are your culture shock experiences about sleeping?Any thoughts? Would you love or not this style for sleeping?