Sleep Position Meanings Can Reveal A Creepy Amount About Your Personality

Whether or not you cuddle with your partner at night can be a window into your mind, according to Carter. "If a person doesn't want to spoon or cuddle, they're keeping distance in the relationship and their personality is probably aloof in all relationships," she says. "Being willing to cuddle or spoon shows a warmer personality that's willing to engage with others."

Sleeping close to your partner taps into your brain in more ways than one. Science shows that hugging your partner releases feel-good chemicals, and these hormones can promote the bonding, stress relief, and feelings of love that you might be subconsciously seeking during a sleepy snuggle. Added bonus? Sleeping on your side means you're less likely to snore in your partner's ear.

If you don't find your sleep style jives with your personality, or you favor a number of different sleeping positions, it's not an exact science. Most of the results are self-reported, and while the comparisons are interesting, sleeping is definitely an individual thing. You can be all of these things or none of them. But as long as you're getting enough sleep, you're generally going to be more pleasant to be around during the day regardless of whether you're a starfish or soldier at night.

Experts:

Adrianne Carter, "The Face Whisperer," the UK's foremost expert in facial expressions, emotions, and behavior

Studies referenced:

Aminoff, M. (2011). We spend about one-third of our life either sleeping or attempting to do so. Handbook of Clinical Neurology.

Light, K. (2005). More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women. Biological Psychology.

Ravesloot, M. (2013). The undervalued potential of positional therapy in position-dependent snoring and obstructive sleep apnea—a review of the literature. Sleep and Breathing.

Skarpsno, E. (2017). Sleep positions and nocturnal body movements based on free-living accelerometer recordings: association with demographics, lifestyle, and insomnia symptoms. Nature and Science of Sleep.

Worley, S. (2018). The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep. Pharmacy and Therapeutics.