What your sleeping style says about your relationship
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Are you and your partner in sync? Just look at the way you sleep.......How do you tend to lie when you fall asleep?
Tonight, pay attention to the position you naturally adopt as you drift off - and take a look at your partner, too. According to a new study, your sleeping positions offer insights into your true personalities.
Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, analysed six common sleeping positions and found that each is linked to a particular personality type.
Of course, we don't stay in one sleeping position all night. We move around two to four times an hour while we sleep. However, the researchers found that people generally spent the most time in the position they fell asleep in.
So the position that matters (your "preferred sleep position") is the one that you adopt spontaneously for comfort when falling asleep.
It seems that even when you're unconscious, your body language is busy sending out signals that may surprise you.
"The profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect," said Professor Idzikowski.
1. The Foetus (preferred sleeping position for 41% of the 1,000 people surveyed)
This is the characteristic womb position, where you lie curled on your side with your knees bent. Sleep researchers reckon that more than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position, and it is thought to be the optimal posture for a good night's sleep.
But what about those personality traits? Foetal sleepers tended to be tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. In dating, they're likely to be far more shy than their confident exterior suggests (sound familiar?), but they soon relax when they're in a relationship.
2. The Log (15%)
These are the sleepers who lie on their side without curling up into the fetal position. Personality links between this sleeping position, tend to be of an easy-going, sociable nature. Log sleepers enjoy being part of the in-crowd, and they mingle easily with new people.
They can make great partners because they don't bottle up their feelings and they get on well with your family and friends. However, their ability to socialise with anyone and everyone could leave you feeling a bit insecure at times.
3. The Yearner (13%)
Sleepers who lie on their side with their arms out in front are apparently most likely to have thoughtful, committed personalities. Yearners may seem noncommittal at first, which can make them infuriating to date.
But they're not sending mixed signals - they're simply wary of rushing into anything. They make excellent long-term partners, because once they've made a commitment they stick to it. It just takes them a while to get there!
4. The Soldier (8%)
Lying on your back with your arms by your side is a far less common sleeping position than you might expect. Good thing too."Those who lie on their back may end up snoring and breathing less well during the night," he said.
"It may not necessarily awaken the sleeper, but could cause a less refreshing night's sleep." And if it doesn't wake up the sleeper, it may well wake up whoever has to sleep next to them. When they're awake, however, people who sleep on their backs tend to be quiet and reserved, according to the researchers. It was also found that they set high standards for themselves and others. So if you sleep with a soldier and they snore, take some comfort from knowing that they're likely to be conscientious partners who treat you and the relationship with respect.
5. Freefall (7%)
These sleepers lie on their front with their head turned to the side and their hands round the pillow. The researchers found a link with a gregarious and even brash personality - at least outwardly.
Scratch the surface and you'll find someone who's nervy and thin-skinned, and who doesn't take well to criticism. Writer Janet Kinosian, author of The Well-Rested Woman (www.wellrestedwoman.com ), claims that Madonna sleeps in this position, and that it indicates "strong compulsive tendencies and stubbornness".
All of which points to someone who's charismatic, a bit of a handful and possibly the dominant partner in your relationship. Life with a freefall sleeper is unlikely to be boring.
6. Starfish (5%)
People who sleep on their backs with their arms up around the pillow were found to be unselfish and good at listening, though, as with soldier-sleepers, they were more likely to snore (well, nobody's perfect). Snoring aside, their supposed traits mark them out as excellent partners: attentive, intuitive and always ready to offer help when needed. If you sleep with a starfish, count your blessings and buy some earplugs.
* For advice and more information on your sleeping patterns, take the online sleep assessment at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre's wesbite: http://www.edinburghsleepcentre.com/sleep_disorders/online_questionnaire.html
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