Partner can't sleep without something playing?

[Shahhhh]

Bit of a random one, but I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant with our first baby. I have an incredible partner who is literally my soul mate and will do anything for me/our relationship and we love eachother very much.

For as long as he can remember he has listened to podcasts/youtube playlists (of speaking, not music, like people playing games and such) to fall asleep to. Since he moved in we have both listened to them, we're both into the same topics so I enjoy listening to them too but I have no issues sleeping without them...

We've recently tried to stop as obviously we will have a new born in the room soon, and we don't want the baby to get used to sleeping with that in the background, especially with bad language and stuff that might pop up occasionally. The alternative is one of those Bluetooth eye masks but, we both agree that it might feel like I'm kind of on my own with a new born and he's in his own little world/oblivious with both ears and eyes covered.

It might seem like such a small thing but since we've tried for maybe the last week to sleep without anything, with rain sounds, white noise, anything BUT the podcasts/YouTube videos, my partner is just not sleeping well. He wakes up constantly thinking he can hear banging downstairs, tossing and turning cause his brain just won't settle. He works so hard for us and does long shifts so I really don't want him to suffer from lack of sleep, but we're about to enter the newest, probably most challenging part of our lives together and I don't want to feel like I'm in it in my own at night, you know?

He's completely understanding and in agreement that we need to think of something, bless him. Has anyone struggled with this? Anything that works?

Honestly he'll probably be so tired with a new born he'll have no issues going to sleep haha but maybe be can go to bed a bit earlier than you, listen to his stuff and fall asleep and then when you bring baby up, he can get up first etc if that makes sense.

I say this because I couldn't sleep without a light on and this is something we did but I was too tired to bother after a bit so he might just naturally come away from it.

Ever since I hit perimenopause, I’ve had problems sleeping—my mind starts running at 2am and I can’t get back to sleep. Listening to something makes me drift back off—I put in an earpod (just one). If your DH did this, he wouldn’t be disengaged with two headphones in and an eye mask on.

I don't know why we didn't think of this 😂😂😂 such a good idea. We'll give that a go and see if it helps him! Thank you!

The Bluetooth sleep masks are superb. They don’t act as ear plugs though. He’ll still be able to hear you and the baby if you need something.

It takes longer than a week to change a habit and make it stick.

I have ADHD and I just can't sleep without something playing so if I can't have the telly on I stick one headphone in so I can still hear my surroundings but I'm listening to a podcast or something on YouTube with my other ear and that works well for me

I have a pillow speaker. I can listen to a podcast, nobody else can hear. It’s a game changer.

https://www.robertsradio.com/en-gb/pillow-talk#pt9918

I also have a pillow speaker. Along with a single Loop Quiet ear plug as DH insists on listening to music without a pillow speaker.

Recommend a Snoozeband. You can set it to switch off after an hour. He would still be able to hear a baby crying.

Bone conduction headphones might be the answer. They are designed for runners so you can hear the music but you can hear your environment too. I often use them when I can't sleep. I have these expensive ones (which are truly fantastic). There are lots of cheap ones on Amazon which may also be suitable.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SHOKZ-Conduction-Headphones-Bluetooth-Waterproof-Black/dp/B0CYFSQPJH/ref=mpssa111sspa?crid=1RI7CKEQ4Y5N3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZkcA44-IKYFTXzXWL-W6E29tZ7hZr8R4s6isqnfYhfk9507imSykn8dm65aa3-caWzO2PpuyU-rixLr90QgcDfmUXda3jdoCCDnRBH1GPOWoGohFV-6T-tJYhfBwnKUcR5DjBU7gu6cz-cpGL6ffOOktwgYtjhoj6VeHbkNyqfu9-JFWUU3KeJQ1oZP11UrkoBh28V8mI-lRnWmYFFQ.uHRzbjOHqfR8qgUCmwFoXT7-WN5vkwz-E-DchRf-Ak&dibbtag=se&keywords=bone+conduction+headphones&qid=1741533387&sprefix=bone+conductor+%2Caps%2C82&sr=8-1-spons&spcsd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

The baby won't be disturbed by it, I doubt. Babies love a bit of a white noise. By the time the baby will have any idea what the words mean, I imagine they'll be old enough to be in their own room.

I recommend putting on white noise of some kind, mixed in with the podcast and put it on a timer so the voice stops. Or as others say, something only he can hear. The snooze headbands are good. Or just move the speaker next to his head so the baby couldn't hear it and have another playing white noise next to the cot? I haven't tried a pillow speaker myself.

Would he be happy with a book on Audible that doesn't have swearing in it?

Snoozeband!

Wireless headphones?

Wireless headphones?

Definitely. You don’t have to have it over your eyes, if you don’t want to.

My husband is the same. Ironically I was the same before I met him but it stopped for me, and then he developed it.

Our baby wasn’t fussed at all. I honestly wouldn’t fuck around with his sleep at this point… babies love white noise. Maybe just adjust what he listens to, so it’s not full of swearing, but you’ve got a long time until your baby will notice individual words or start repeating them, and they may well be in their own room by then.

DH and I usually sleep with the radio on low. We've both got tinnitus so we usually have Classic FM or Radio 4 on. It didn't disturb either of the DC as babies at all, and they both sleep happily in their own rooms now without any background noise! I don't think a newborn will be too concerned about the occasional swear word either, but if you're not happy with that then maybe just stick something else on. Radio, audio book, etc.