When you sink into your loveseat at the end of a long day, the comfort it gives can lull you to sleep. Of course, it’s pretty easy to fall asleep while watching TV or reading a book, and you might make a habit of it. But can you sleep on a loveseat?
A loveseat is not an ideal sleeping surface for many reasons. There’s the risk of developing some health problems and damage to a loveseat sofa. Use loveseat sleepers instead, and you get the benefits of a loveseat plus a comfortable sleeping surface.
This article explores the length of a loveseat and if you can sleep on it. I also discuss the differences between a loveseat and a sofa.
How Long Is a Loveseat?
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Loveseats or double-chairs were made originally as a broader form of the armchair, but they have evolved into something more today. Typically, you will find them paired with larger couches in family room setups or living rooms.
More recent applications or locations include informal office break-out spaces and intimate reading areas in libraries or coffee shops. Loveseats vary in length and other size parameters. Take a look at the average lengths of loveseats (arm to arm measurements):
- Small standard loveseats: 52 inches
- Medium loveseats: 58 inches
- Full loveseats: 64 inches
- Loveseat sofas: 71 inches
- Compact twin-sized loveseats (for one person): 45 to 51 inches wide
The height of a loveseat is usually standard. Most loveseats stand at the height of 20 or 21 inches above the floor, except for a compact twin-sized loveseat. This one sits at about 28 inches high.
Loveseats have varying widths, and the type of cushion also affects how high it will feel to the person who sits on it. Other features that affect how much room each loveseat provides for seating are the shape, style, and type of cushion.
Before purchasing one, ensure that it provides enough seating space for your guests and fits your space.
Can You Sleep on a Loveseat?
Gear up for premium pain if you find yourself falling asleep on your loveseat constantly. Your neck, back, or hips will receive the brunt of the discomfort that comes from sleeping on a loveseat.
While you can sleep on a loveseat, it is inadvisable to do so, especially for long periods. One night a week at your friend’s or the accidental dozing off is fine, but it’s not an ideal bed replacement.
There are several reasons you shouldn’t turn a loveseat into your bed, and I provide the details below:
Sleeping position
Unlike a bed, a loveseat cannot distribute your weight evenly, which may lead to body aches when you wake up. In addition, you won’t be able to find and hold proper sleeping positions on such a surface.
Things may escalate from irritating pain in your neck, back, and muscles throughout your body to actual damage to your joints and body.
Location
The general location of loveseats is the living room. Living rooms often have the most lights in a house, including lamps, recessed lighting, TV, and overhead lights. These lights disrupt your REM sleep cycles and harm your sleeping patterns.
If you aren’t getting enough rest, your overall body health will suffer in the long run.
Hygiene
You know for sure that your sofa isn’t as clean as your mattress. You may wash your sheets weekly, but when did you last clean your loveseat? A good night’s sleep also comes from a clean environment for relaxation and breathing.
Material
Loveseats were designed for people to sit on and not as beds. The materials that cover them also reflect this function and aren’t the best for sleeping.
Velvet accumulates lint and dust (bad for people with asthma), and leather can make you feel too hot. Nothing’s more uncomfortable than sweating profusely through the night.
Distractions
People often place loveseats in the living room, and distractions often abound in that space. People usually talk, socialize, listen to music, and watch TV in the living room, usually on the loveseat.
If you place the loveseat near a room that produces more distraction and noise, it can make it even harder to seep.
Damage to the loveseat
Extended time sleeping on a loveseat will not only cause your body harm but your loveseat as well. Since loveseats aren’t designed to hold your total body weight while you sleep, the cushions’ foam, frame, and covers will suffer damage.
The extent of wear and tear heavily depends on how often you or anyone sleeps on the loveseat and the sleeper’s height and weight.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with taking a nap once or twice. However, problems arise when your loveseat replaces your bed.
What’s the Difference Between a Loveseat and a Sofa?
When furnishing a living room, many homeowners choose between a loveseat or a classic sofa. While both are comfy and allow you to put your feet up after a tiring day, they have some significant differences.
These variations include:
- Size: It’s the most apparent difference between a loveseat and soda. A loveseat is small and perfect for cuddling up with your loved ones—that’s what the ‘love’ in the name means.
Sofas are longer, often between 75 to 91 inches. The number of cushions also helps you tell them apart, and they serve as visuals for where you can sit. Loveseats have one to two cushions to hold that number of people.
On the other hand, sofas have two to four cushions on average. Multiple people can relax on a couch comfortably, with its larger cushions. A two-seater sofa isn’t a loveseat, though; it is simply a traditional sofa with two instead of three cushions. - Purpose: Many people know sofas are for relaxing and sprawling out. You often find them in large spaces like the living room or basement because that’s where people gather.
Whether you are hosting a get-together, watching a movie with your family, or relaxing alone, your sofa has got you covered.
A loveseat has less conventional purposes in a home, and you can use it for multiple purposes. For example, it can serve as a stylish accent in the bedroom or replace a stiff bench in the kitchen for your family to accompany you as you cook.
Sleeper loveseats are loveseats with a pull-out bed you can use instead of a bed or large couch. They are compact and help you manage space if you have little to spare for a regular bed.
- Cost: Although they are usually sold at similar price points, sofas are slightly more expensive. A loveseat goes for about $20 to $50 less than a sofa.
For example, a La-Z-Boy sofa costs between $1,500 and $8,500, while a loveseat of the same brand ranges from about $1,500 to $8,5050.
Labor costs take the bulk of the price in both products, even though sofas use more materials and fabric than loveseats. It takes about the same time to make both products, which equalizes the labor required, hence the similarity in cost.
Another minor detail to note is that couches are more likely to have features like recliners. Always remember that loveseats are the shorter of the two (lengthwise), and you will be good to shop like a pro.
