Sleep separately

The logic

Colds and flu spread through coughs, sneezes and close contact. A different room cuts your risk and gives you uninterrupted sleep, which is the best defence you have.

A snoring, coughing, restless patient also wrecks your night. One good night in the spare room can be worth more than any remedy.

Sell it as a treat

"You'll be able to spread out and rest properly" works better than "I don't want your germs". Both are true, only one gets a smile.

You take the big bed tonight. I'll be next door if you need me.

Make it work

• Fresh bedding in the spare room before you need it.
• Wash your hands before you go to bed.
• Agree how he will wake you, if he must. A text, not a shout.
• Leave a glass of water, tissues and a bin by his bed.

Keeping the germs out

Separate rooms help, but the rest of the house still needs a plan.

• Open a window for a few minutes each day to change the air.
• Give him his own mug, towel and tissues bin.
• Wash hands after you handle his bedding or plates.
• Wash his bedding at a high temperature once he is better.

If you cannot move out

Not everyone has a spare room. You can still cut the risk.

• Sleep head-to-toe, or on opposite sides of the bed.
• Use the sofa bed, or an air bed, for a night or two.
• Keep the bedroom window slightly open if it is safe to do so.

Checking in overnight

Agree a signal before the lights go out: a text, a baby monitor or a quiet knock on the wall.

Check on him once before you sleep and once if you wake. If he has a high fever, is confused, or is struggling to breathe, do not leave him alone overnight.

Common questions

Will he be offended?

Not if you frame it as a treat: the big bed, the quilt and no one wriggling. Most patients love it.

Does sleeping apart really help?

It cuts your exposure to coughs and sneezes in the small hours and protects your sleep. Neither guarantees you avoid the cold, but both help.

How long should it last?

Until he is past the worst of it, usually three to five days, or until his temperature is back to normal and the coughing has eased.

A quick recap

• Make up the spare bed in advance.
• Leave drinks, tissues and a bin by his bed.
• Agree a text or knock as a signal.
• Wash hands before bed and after handling his bedding.
• Stay close if he has a high fever, confusion or breathing trouble.