What Does Your Sleeping Position Reveal About Your Relationship?

What Does Your Sleeping Position Reveal About Your Relationship?

Whether you sleep at opposite sides of the bed or spoon all night (accepting the inevitable dead arm in the morning), the way that you sleep with your partner could reveal the state of your relationship.

According to a new study, you can tell how happy a couple are by the way they position themselves in bed.

Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire surveyed 1,000 people and found that couples who maintained physical contact while they slept were more likely to report being happy in their relationship.

The study found the majority (94%) of couples who slept touching each other claimed to be happy with their relationship compared to just 68% of couples claiming to be happy who didn’t touch while snoozing.

The research, which was presented at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, also suggests that physical distance distance while sleeping may translate into emotional distance between a pair.

Of the 12% of couples who slept with less than an inch separation from their partner, 86% of them said they were happy. Of the couples who slept more than 30 inches apart (2%), only 66% said they were happy.

Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire and study lead, said: “This is the first survey to examine couples’ sleeping positions, and the results allow people to gain an insight into someone’s personality and relationship by simply asking them about their favorite sleeping position.”

The most popular sleeping position for couples can also be determined from the study. Of the participants questioned, back to back was the most popular way to hit the hay, with 42% of couples choosing to lie this way. Thirty one percent of participants slept facing the same direction as their partner, and 4% slept facing one another.

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