Are you someone who likes to sleep across your partner at night? Or do you prefer to sleep on the other side of the bed, keeping a distance between you and your partner?
According to a new study, your sleeping position may reveal the strength of your relationship with your partner.
The study, which was conducted on 1,100 persons, states that distance between couples while sleeping plays an important role in their relationship.
The researchers said that partners who sleep with less than one inch between them are likely to be happier than those who sleep with a gap wider than 30 inches.
They also point out that partners who spend the night making physical contact are happier than those who do not touch.
The research, published at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, is based on work conducted by psychiatrist Samuel Dunkell.
Dunkell points out in his work that people who lie curled up in a 'fetal' position are likely to be uncertain, anxious and sensitive to criticism.
He also states that people who sleep in a 'semi-fetal' position, with their knees drawn up, are known to be appeasing, willing to compromise, and unlikely to take extreme stances.
People who sleep in the ‘royal’ position – flat on their back – are more likely to be confident, open, expansive, and sensation-seeking, said Dunkell.
As for those who lie ‘prone’ on their face, they show a tendency for rigidity and perfectionism.
In reference to the study that was conducted on 1,100 people, 42 percent of couples were found to sleep back to back, 31 percent face the same direction, and only 4 percent face one another.
It also showed that 34 percent sleep touching, 12 percent spend the night with less than one inch of distance between them, and only 2 percent sleep separated by more than 30 inches.
Of couples who sleep while touching, partners tend to be happier if they sleep face-to-face rather than sleep in the ‘spoon’ position - touching while laying on the sides facing the same direction-or even happier than couples who sleep while facing the opposite directions.
Of partners who don't touch, the largest number of happy couples were those who face the same direction.
They were even happier than those who sleep back to back or facing each other.
Similarly, University of Hertfordshire psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, who led the study, said that 94% of couples who spent the night in contact with one another were happy with their relationship, compared to just 68 percent of those who didn’t touch.
Professor Wiseman mentioned that this was the first survey to examine couples’ sleeping positions, and the results allow people to gain insight into someone’s personality and relationship.
Wiseman says that the study found 86 percent of couples who slept less than an inch apart felt happier in their relationship, compared to 66 percent of those who slept more than 30 inches apart.
The initial findings of Professor Wiseman suggest that people who sleep very close to their partners are more likely to be extroverts.
Although the findings of the study may be accurate to some extent, in my opinion further examinations should be made.
From personal observation, I have found that the person's sleeping position does not necessarily have to mirror his/her happiness with his/her partner.
The sleeping position is a reflection of how comfortable the person is while sleeping, seemingly since the time that a person spends sleeping is considered their sole opportunity for much needed relaxation. It is during that time of the night that an individual leaves all troubles behind to refresh for the challenges of the upcoming day.
It is also noteworthy that some people change different positions while sleeping due to pain that may arise from bodily aches; a matter which may disrupt sleeping patterns and positions.
I have known couples who have been married for over 30 years, and who still cherish that glimmer of love and satisfaction that stems from their long-term commitment to one another. I also know couples who maintain long-distance relationships, but are even happier than those who have been living together over an extended period of time.
So while this study may provide some insight into our sleeping patterns and offer interpretations, I invite you to look at it with an objective point of view, lest your perspective be altered in the name of science; a field that has proudly challenged and changed its findings in light of more recent discoveries.