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Jordin Sparks is sharing some bedtime wisdom.
The singer, 35, spoke to PEOPLE about her marriage to husband Dana Isaiah, 33, whom she wed in 2017. Sparks revealed their secrets to keeping their relationship strong — from fostering a friendship alongside the romance to adopting a bit of an unconventional sleeping habit.
One of the small things Sparks and Isaiah do to fortify their partnership is sleep with separate blankets, the singer tells PEOPLE.
“He runs very hot and I run very cold. I need a down comforter and he’s in a sheet, and I was like, ‘This is not going to work.’ So we sleep with separate blankets,” Sparks shares, though she notes her advice isn’t a “one-size-fits-all type thing.”
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On a broader scale, Sparks says they make an effort to remember they were friends first. There was a period of time where she and Isaiah were really getting to know each other that was “strictly platonic,” she says, which continues to feel valuable to their relationship.
“Sometimes you talk to someone and initially you’re just like, ‘Oh, they’re really just trying to get something from me, whether it’s romantically or intimately or they want to use me,’ ” Sparks reflects. “And Dana was one of the first people that I … really spoke to that I didn’t feel like had any preconceived notions about me, and really allowed me to just be myself.”
Remembering that their friendship is the base of their marriage is key, Sparks emphasizes, because romance and romantic partnerships tend to get complicated.
Many times, “Words are unsaid, and the timing is never right to have a conversation,” Sparks continues, which can cause a buildup of frustration and resentment. But at its simplest form, their marriage is an opportunity to solve problems together, and centering friendship helps them stay connected to that idea.
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“I think that’s really been something that we have really tried to work hard on in our relationship, is coming back to that foundation of our friendship and realizing that we just love each other for who we are, and to allow that to grow and help us lead in whatever decision that we make,” Sparks says.
Sparks and Isaiah married in 2017 after they started dating earlier in the year. Sparks publicly announced in November 2017 that they’d tied the knot, and also revealed they were expecting their first child together. The couple later welcomed Dana Isaiah Jr. in May 2018.
