
When you pick a position to fall asleep in, you probably think that it’s just about what is comfortable for your body and how easy it is for you to drift off into dreamland. But whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach might actually be more revealing than that. Science says your sleeping position is linked to your personality. Yes, that means that your sleep position determines the type of person you are.
Research shows that how you sleep physically has ties to your personality, mental, and physical status. A study conducted by Chris Idzikowskidirector of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, looked into six different sleep positions and found that each is linked to different personality types.
What does your sleeping position say about your personality?
1. The fetal position
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The fetal position is when you curl up like a fetus would in the womb. It’s the most common sleep position, as 41% of the 1,000 participants in the study sleep this way, more than twice of whom were women. In fact, this position is so popular that a 2018 study put that number closer to 60%.
Idzikowski found that this means you put on a tough exterior, but you’re really a softy deep down inside. Though you are a bit standoffish and shy when meeting new people, you eventually calm down and open up.
Before Idzikowski, however, Samuel Dunkell dove into the world of personality and sleep positions in his landmark 1977 study. As reported on by SleepFoundationhe concluded that” fetal position sleepers tend to be more anxious and emotional.”
Unsurprisingly, the two studies seem to follow a similar belief. Fetal position sleepers are wary in social settings when they don’t know many people, but once they warm up, they get their emotions in check. It makes sense since sleeping curled in a ball similar to a baby’s position in the womb is a self-soothing position, and one that might help ease anxiety into a relaxed state.
: What The Side Of The Bed You Sleep On Says About Your Personality, According To Research
2. The log position
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The log position is when you lie on your side and have your arms parallel to your torso and legs. Fifteen percent of participants said they sleep in this position.
A U.S. survey from 2017 by The Better Sleep Council found that men are more likely to prefer log position than women, and they also think they are healthier than other positioned sleepers.
If you tend to fall asleep in this position, according to Idzikowski’s research, you are easy-going, sociable, and are usually in the popular crowd. But despite this, you tend to be gullible. Perhaps that’s why these sleepers, in addition to thinking they are the healthiest of the bunch, also think they sleep the best out of everyone else!
3. The yearner
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The yearner position means you lie on your side with both arms out in front of you, as if you form a misshapen, upside-down L. Unfortunately, if you like this position, you might want to adapt to something new, as research has found you may be more prone to experiencing shoulder pain after a while.
If you yearn to lie on your side and have your arms in front of you, you’re less gullible than your log-prefering peers, but are more cynical and suspicious of others. You have a hard time making decisions, but stand by your choices once you make them.
: Research Reveals The 3 Most Popular Sleep Positions — And The Pros And Cons Of Each
4. The starfish position
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Only five percent of participants sleep in the starfish position, which is when you sleep on your back with both of your arms up by your head, around your pillow.
If you sleep in this position, you are a good friend to others due to your willingness to lend a helping hand and listen with an open mind and heart. Unlike those who sleep in the log position, you don’t crave the spotlight. Dunkell’s research added that they are more self-confident, which makes sense. Only someone with true self-confidence would sprawl out in the middle of the bed in this position!
5. The soldier
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The soldier position means you sleep flat on your back with both of your arms pinned to your sides. Only 8% of participants said they sleep in the soldier position, and it makes sense because it doesn’t seem all that natural of a choice. But what’s interesting to note, according to a study from 2012, is that it can alleviate back pain in some people who have pressure pain in their lower backs, but it sadly has the unintended side effect of causing reflux in people more prone to heartburn.
If this is your sleep position, it means you tend to be quiet, conservative, and reserved. You don’t like making a big deal out of situations, but you hold others and yourself to very high standards.
6. Freefall
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If you sleep in the freefall position, it means you lie on your stomach with your hands around the pillow and your head turned to one side. Seven percent of participants sleep in this position. Of all sleep positions, stomach sleeping is the least popular.
Those who sleep in freefall are friendly and assertive, but often lack the thick skin needed to handle criticism and high-pressure situations. Sleep researcher Dunkell additionally found stomach sleepers to be “anxious, impulsive, compulsive, and rigid, traits he said work well for jobs in accounting, banking, and management.”
: People Who Need The TV On To Fall Asleep At Night Usually Display These 10 Behaviors, According To Psychology
Nicole Weaver is a senior writer for Showbiz Cheat Sheet whose work has been featured in New York Magazine, Teen Vogue, and more.
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