Those of you who read before bed: What do you do if your SO is not a reader?

How about a Booklight? (I think I have one somewhere you can try out…)

Audio books and headphones

I like to watch tv before going to bed, and my husband doesn’t. It’s kind of the same dilemma. Once in bed he wants everything off, a quiet dark room. Drives me crazy. If I am not tired enough to go to sleep, I watch tv in the family room. I hate it. Well, hate is too strong a word.

I wonder if you bought an iPad or kindle if that would help? He could wear a sleeping mask over his eyes if he is very sensitive to light, and you would not have to worry about any noise from page turning.

Ignore her. Actually, I’ll go to another room and read, which means sometimes I fall asleep on the couch. I also get up about an hour earlier and will go read in another room. The funny part is I can fall asleep with her watching TV or with the lights on, it doesn’t bother me.

@Cruiser: Not really an option. An audio book can cost 20 bucks and not all of what I read comes in audio books.

@rts486: I tried ignoring him but he would just tell me to turn off the light over and over again. I think the book light is my best bet at this point.

I’ve done the book light thing too. Sometimes its ok, and other times its too much for her. I’m like you in that I need to unwind before going to sleep. Reading is the best way to do that.

My roommate falls asleep with the lights on. As long as I’m relatively quiet, I can pretty much do whatever I want after he falls asleep. I would recommend getting a book light as well, but one that is bookmark-sized (similar to this one) and not bright enough to bother your boyfriend.

@KatawaGrey I am lucky our library has a pretty awesome selection I tap for road trips

I’d find a new s/o, but then I’m a bibliophile. If you don’t read, I probably don’t like you very much. ^_^

If you’re looking for a booklight, I rather like the LightWedge

I have a question. Even if the book light won’t bother him, will it bother him that you are not going to sleep at the same time when you are both in bed? My husband is a light sleeper, so I know that is part of the reason he can’t tolerate me watching tv when he needs to sleep, but I also think he hates me being awake in the bedroom when he is sleeping.

I always used to read before bed but now that I am with my SO and he is not a reader, when we are together I tend to find other times to read. We talk and laugh and make fun of each other in the time before lights out that’s if we aren’t doing other stuff of course!!! and I much prefer that time with him than reading so it’s not an issue.

We both read before bed but if he’s not reading, he’ll just fall asleep on top of me while I’m reading and the lights are on and everything – he’s that exhausted from being with the baby all day (maybe ya’ll should get pregnant…kidding, kidding)...I’d tell you to perhaps go read elsewhere, you can make a comfy corner for yourself outside your bed, can’t you?

When she was feeling up for it I would read what I was reading out loud to my wife until she fell asleep.

When I read in bed, I use a headlamp on the red light setting. The red light is bright enough to provide contrast on text to not strain your eyes, but it also doesn’t reflect and light up the rest of the room like white light. (It’s purpose is to be used outside at night to prevent the eyes from needing to adjust back to darkness after reading something like a starmap.) Plus, I don’t have to fumble with the light when I move the book, turn pages, adjust my position, etc. I can use the light when I’m done to place the book where it needs to be, then I remove the light from my head and can turn it off once I set it down. I recall finding one for about $10–15, but I use it for other things than reading.

Invest in one of those little sandbags you put over your eyes to keep out the light. Or a blindfold that ties around his head. Yeah, and that could be kinky, too—if, occasionally, you offered him a suitable benefit for letting you read.

Cum to think of it; that’s a pretty good soporific, too.

I bought a headlamp at Walmart for about 15 bucks that can toggle to a red LED. I read in bed with that.

I’m with @Seek_Kolinahr. If you’re not a reader, I’m not sure how you got into my bed, but you need to get out of it ASAP. XD

My partner is a reader-before-bed and I’m not. We resolve this problem by him going to bed an hour or so before me while I stay up Fluthering until I’m ready to sleep.

Separate bedrooms….no wait….separate houses…..:)

Not read before bed? Preposterous! :)

How else does one fall asleep?!

Slip him a mickey and crack open “War and Peace” ;)
I have a book light

My S/O didn’t read but the light never bothered him.

I never had a partner I was at odds with over bedtimes except when the real issue was they wanted nekid time once we got into bed instead of me reading/writing.

Is there something you two can do together to make a new falling asleep routine? To me, that would be easiest and then you can save your reading for when you don’t feel like you’re annoying anyone or having to put up with hems and haws until he falls asleep.

I read in my recliner in the family room long after he goes to bed.

How about getting him comfortable sleeping mask? I used one on the airplane recently and it worked very well.

I suggested something to cover his eyes and he didn’t like the idea. :(

@Seek_Kolinahr @MacBean: What can I say, he’s cute!

It might be worthwhile to invest in one like @YARNLADY suggested, even if it gets rejected. I’ve tried using the ones given out on some flights, and they are distracting because they press on the eyes and nose. The link she offers addresses those issues.