What Your Sleep Position Says About Your Relationship

Imagine yourself drifting off to sleep of an evening, what position do you and your partner fall asleep in? Do you cuddle? Or are you both back to back sleeping at opposite ends of the bed?

Once you are asleep, your subconscious mind takes over and controls the way you sleep, therefore analysing the sleep body language of you and your partner could help reveal some tell-tale signs of what’s going on in your relationship which you might not have even been aware of yourself!

Obvious signs such as loud snoring, sudden thrashing movements and leg kicking may indicate why your partner is preferring to keep some distance between you both in bed; however you might be wondering what the sleeping positions you and your partner are so familiar with say about your relationship.

 

The Spoon

Spooning, adopted by about one fifth of couples might be classed as one of the most popular choices of sleeping positions amongst couples, most likely due it being super comfy to sleep in!

This pretty traditional sleeping position suggests that couples are generally comfortable with one another and that this protective stance shows that couples are looking out for one another. 

Research carried out by the University of Hertfordshire at Edinburgh’s International Science Festival found that 94% of couples who spent the night in closer contact were happy with their relationship compared to 68% who didn’t have contact during the night according to Professor Wiseman, psychologist at the university. 

Therefore, if you adopt the spooning position, the chances are you are probably very happy in your relationship!

 

The Loose Spoon

This take on the traditional and closer touching spoon position sees a small amount of distance between the couples touching, however this shouldn’t be interpreted as there being any distance in you and your partner’s relationship so don’t worry!

Rather, this position could simply show the progression of your relationship. Whereas you might have started with the traditional spooning position at the beginning of your relationship, you and your partner now recognise that you can trust each other enough to have a little space, which is not a bad thing at all!

 

Head On Chest

Like spooning, this is also another position which demonstrates the trust between you and your partner.

Whilst it might be your head lying on your partner’s chest reveals signs of protection and nurturing, your partner who is sleeping on their back and letting you lie on them suggests that they are confident and using their self assurance and power to protect you. 

 

Intertwined

Also known as the knot, this again is another position showing the intimacy in you and your partner’s relationship, as you probably couldn’t get any closer to one another even if you tried! 

Patti Wood, a body language expert sheds light on this sleeping position in a Cosmopolitan article suggesting that you and your partner are very close if you sleep in this position,“It means your lives are intertwined, that you function as a pair. You probably finish each other’s sentences and take care of each other,”.

 

Tummy Snoozers

Lying face down or on your stomach may suggest anxiety or vulnerability, as unlike the other sleeping positions we’ve discussed, this position is protecting your body and keeping you in a more closed position. Wood agrees and also says that this position may, or try to, hide a person’s emotions.

If you and your partner find yourselves in this position and it’s not down to the fact that either of you have neck or back problems causing you to sleep in this position don’t worry! Instead, try snuggling up to your partner to remind them that they are safe and that you’re looking after them.

 

Opposite Ends Of The Bed

Professor Wiseman who reported on the space between couples in bed and what this reflects found that only 66% of those who slept more than thirty inches apart were happy in their relationship, which may highlight some worrying signs for this sleeping position.

If you tend to snuggle fairly closely and regularly in your relationship but then you end up in this position more frequently, this could indicate that there is stress or something not quite right.

On the other hand, sleeping away from one another could just as easily signpost a healthy relationship. Twenty seven percent of couples sleep at opposite ends of the bed which can signify the security and connection a couple have in their relationship according to a Daily Mail report analysing the telling signs of couple’s sleeping stances.

Lastly, sleeping at opposite ends of the bed may just be a natural movement which happens after you become more comfortable with your partner and show that you are both happy to be independent. Those of you who are lighter sleepers may just prefer sleeping on your own so that you can they can get a better night’s sleep and not be disturbed by other movement or sound around you.

Don’t forget, if you want to try and enhance any of these sleeping positions, then the perfect pillow available from our wide range of pillows can really help to improve you and your partner’s quality of sleep!

Overall we hope you’ve found reading about these different sleeping positions and how they may reflect the goings-on in a relationship both interesting and also useful!