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Q: I’m losing sleep! My wife wakes up a solid hour before I do in order to apply her make-up. I’m a light sleeper and all of that bathroom noise is a frustrating way to start the day. Besides, she looks beautiful as is and spends a fortune on all that stuff. It seems like a waste of time and money. – Victor, 38

Dr. Susan: As a light sleeper myself, I sympathize. Nevertheless, I suggest you tackle what you can, and get used to the rest. For instance, no matter how lovely you believe your wife is, she is clearly insecure enough to spend a lot of money and time on her appearance. (It’s probably not only make-up, but her hair, too.) That’s just a fact of life for a lot of women, especially those who fear letting the signs of aging show (and very few don’t). So separate your annoyance over the unnecessary noise from the irritation over the waste of time and money.

What you can possibly change is how she goes about all that in the morning while you’re trying to stay asleep. Applying make-up shouldn’t be noisy, though hair-dryers are. When she wakes up, she can get what she needs from the bedroom (preparing it in one convenient spot before going to sleep), and then shut the door (quietly!). She should close the bathroom door too. And leave the noisy stuff for the end. Some people can’t put things down quietly, but surely they can learn.