Sleep position reveals the status of the relationship
The sleeping position allows conclusions about the relationship and personality
04/17/2014
The preferred sleeping position reveals some of the relationship and personality, researchers from the University of Hertfordshire on the „Edinburgh International Science Festival“. The team around psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman has interviewed more than 1,000 volunteers about their sleeping position and the quality of their relationship.
Whether back to back or spoon rather - the sleeping position showed some connections with the personality and relationship life of the subjects, according to the University of Hertfordshire. Especially the sleep distance says a lot about the quality of a relationship, explained Prof. Wiseman. Those who do not touch during the night tend to be more dissatisfied in their relationship. The results of the British researchers suggest that conclusions about the status of a relationship are also possible on the question of sleep behavior. An approach that may become more important in the future as part of couples therapy.
Most couples sleep back to back
The study showed that „the most popular sleeping position for couples is back to back“, reports the University of Hertfordshire. 42 percent of respondents said this was their preferred sleeping position. 31 percent sleep with their faces in the same direction and only four percent stay overnight, according to the announcement from the university. Only twelve percent of the couples snuggled close together (less than two and a half inches of space) and two percent slept at a distance of more than 75 centimeters to each other. According to the researchers, these sleep intervals were closely related to the information on relationship happiness. Couples with a maximum sleep distance of 2.5 centimeters would have considered their relationship to be 86 percent happy, while only 66 percent of couples sleeping more than 75 centimeters were satisfied. „Couples who have physical contact during the night were 94 percent happy in their relationship compared to only 68 percent of those who did not“, Professor Wiseman continued.
Creative people tend to sleep on the left side, extroverts like to cuddle
The psychologists also discovered some striking relationships between the preferred sleeping positions and the personality of the respondents. For example, extroverts would tend to spend the night close to their partner. „More creative types sleep more on their left side“, added Professor Wiseman. The current study is, according to the researchers „The first survey, which examines the sleeping positions of couples and the results, provides insight into the personality and the relationship by asking only for the preferred sleeping position.“ (Fp)
Picture: Helga Gross