We’ve argued about it for years in bed.

It’s my wife’s long-standing practice of having to read 30-45 minutes nearly every night before falling asleep. I read as well, but not as consistently as my wife. On top of that, our schedules are staggered and I like to go to bed about an hour earlier than her.

The problem is I’m a light sleeper. Always have been.

The light from the small lamp on her side of the bed bothers me. Her breathing when she’s reading bothers me (She tends to hold her breath and lets out little puffs of air). The turning of the pages bothers me.

One of the things that’s always bothered me about her reading habit is that she’ll say, “I just want to read for a few minutes,” and ends up turning pages and breathing the way she does for an hour – or more.

This issue has come to a head the past couple of years. I’m not blameless in this whole sleeping thing. My snoring keeps her awake and she has taken to wearing earplugs each night. She suspects I may have sleep apnea issues. I am seeing a doctor about this, and expect to be scheduled soon for an appointment at a sleep lab.

I recently attended a seminar on sleeping disorders. The two speakers stressed the health aspects of getting a good “restive sleep” each night, as opposed to unhealthy, fragmented sleep. Not getting a good night’s sleep night after night can result in psychological and physical problems.

Bottom line: It’s not a good thing for your head or your body to be tired all the time.

I listened with great interest to the part of the meeting that covered “sleep maintenance.” Among the key points made were the statements: “Your bed is for two things: sleeping and sex” and that you should do your best to “make your room completely dark before falling asleep.”

I raised my hand after the speaker had finished and asked about my wife’s reading habit. He replied that my question gets asked at every seminar he gives. Many folks not only read, but they insist of watching TV – even working on their computers while in bed.

“Look, I’m not a marriage counselor,” he said. “I stand by my statement that the bed is for sleep and sex. You have to work things out yourself. Some couples have resorted to sleeping in separate beds. Others, have taken to separate rooms to deal with this.”

My wife has trouble relating to my problem. “Just pull the sheet over your head,” she says. “Put in earplugs like do.”

I can not sleep with the sheet pulled over my head. I need the free-flowing air to be comfortable.

I have tried the earplugs and they help – a little. Last year, I purchased one of those masks at the local drug store that cover your eyes while you sleep. The problem with the one I bought, though, is that it tends to make me sweat a little and I end up ripping it off.

Over the years, I bought my wife several of those little pen lights that attach to her books. Her reading still bothered me.

Recently, I put my foot down and declared when I go to bed and turn off the light — that’s it. If she wants to read, she must go into the living room and can only come into bed when she’s ready to sleep. Unfortunately, that cut into our cuddling time. I’m usually asleep when she slips under the sheets.

She hates it. SHE WANTS TO READ IN BED.

There may be hope. Many of our friends have recommended that Laura get a Kindle or a Nook, insisting that the illumination from those reading devices won’t bother me. Hmmm.. we’ll see.

Meanwhile, we’ve reached a truce.  She’ll observe all my conditions for sleep maintenance, but only after 11:15 p.m. each night.

She gets her reading time. I get to go to sleep when I want.

Like I said, we’ll see. All’s quiet on the bedroom front for now.