To sleep perchance to dream—and reveal who you really are. Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, analyzed the six most common sleep positions in a survey conducted with 1000 participants and found that not only do these positions affect our health—but they're also linked to specific personality types. Are you sending the right message when you're out like a light? (For more cool health advice and genius life hacks, pick up a copy of The Better Man Project. It’s filled with more than 2,000 tips to help you be stronger, sexier, and more awesome than you ever thought possible.) Position: Lying on your stomach with hands up around the pillow and head turned to one side. Personality: Freefallers are often extroverted and brash people. They appear nervy, but are truly thin-skinned people who take criticism personally. Health Benefit: Freefall—or any position in which you’re lying face down—is good for digestion.
Position: Curled up on your side. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41 percent of the 1,000 people who took part in Professor Idzikowski’s survey. Personality: Those who sleep in the fetus are described as tough on the outside, but shy and sensitive at heart. They may take time to warm up to people, but soon relax. Health Benefit: Sleeping on your left side can cause stress on your vital organs (liver, stomach, lungs), so if fetus is your position of choice, curl up on the right side of your body. Position: Lying on your side with both arms down by your side. Personality: Log sleepers are social, easygoing people. The downside: their tendency to trust anyone—including complete strangers—makes them easy to fool. Health Benefit: This position keeps the spine straight, which should be beneficial for those who suffer from back pain. Feeling like a log, in general? Get in the best shape of your life with The Anarchy Workout. You can lose 18 pounds of fat in just 6 weeks!
Position: On your side with both arms out in front. Personality: Yearners are open to new things, but also suspicious and cynical. They take a long time to make decisions—weighing pros and cons repeatedly—but once they make a choice, they almost never change their mind or have regrets. Health Benefit: Resting on your side can help alleviate some problems associated with acid reflux disease and sleep apnea. But if such symptoms are a common occurrence, you may need to see a specialist. Position: Lying on your back with both arms at your sides. Personality: Soldier sleepers are generally quiet and reserved. They don’t like to make a big deal out of things, and they set very high standards for themselves and others. Health Benefit: Research shows that sleeping on your back may lead to snoring, difficulty breathing, and an overall bad night’s sleep. Is your snoring keeping someone awake at night? Try flipping over—you’ll both wake up more refreshed.
Related: 5 "Harmless" Sleep Problems You Shouldn't Ignore Position: Lying on your back with both arms up. Personality: Starfish sleepers are described as great listeners and thus good friends. They’re always willing to offer help and generally don’t like being in the limelight. Health Benefit: Like the soldier, starfish sleepers are more likely to snore and have breathing problems while they sleep, resulting in a less refreshing night’s rest. Keep this field blank Enter your email address You may unsubscribe at any time.For something so simple (even babies do it), sleep isn’t such an easy thing. Both too little and too much time dozing has been linked to a host of health problems, from obesity and heart disease to dementia and diabetes. And sleep position can play a role in snoring, heartburn, and even wrinkles! Read on to see if you should switch it up in bed (remember, we’re talking sleep here). Pros: Snoozing in savasana pose is a boon for spine and neck health, because the back is straight and not forced into any contortions.
Plus back sleeping helps the mattress do its job of supporting the spine. In a perfect (and kind of uncomfy) world, everyone would sleep on their backs without a pillow, as this position leaves the neck in a neutral position. Using too many pillows, however, can make breathing more difficult.Back sleeping is also a winner for the more cosmetically inclined. Spending all night with the face out in the air—and not smooshed up against a pillow—leads to fewer facial wrinkles ((The influence of the sleeping on the formation of facial wrinkles. Cons: Instances of snoring and sleep apnea are much more frequent when a person is sleeping in the supine position. In fact, back sleeping is so closely linked to sleep apnea that doctors prescribe side sleeping as a treatment for the condition. When we sleep on our backs, gravity forces the base of the tongue to collapse into the airway, which obstructs breathing and creates oh-so-pleasant snoring noises that keeps the neighbors up at night.It’s also worth noting that a supported spine doesn’t always necessarily mean a good night’s sleep.
A study comparing the sleep habits of good sleepers and poor sleepers noted the people with worse-quality sleep spent more time on their backs than the good sleepers (Sleep positions in the young adult and their relationship with the subjective quality of sleep. Pros: Side sleepers, unite! Whether they’re curling up in the cozy fetal position or lying straight on one side, the vast majority of people report sleeping on their sides (although since everyone is unconscious during sleep, this information can never be entirely accurate).Doctors encourage sleeping on the left side during pregnancy because it improves circulation to the heart, which benefits both mom and baby. Side sleeping is also a pregnancy winner because sleeping on the back puts pressure on the lower back (which can lead to fainting) and stomach-sleeping is impossible for obvious reasons ((When it comes to pregnant women sleeping, is left right?. For those not expecting, sleeping on the left side can also ease heartburn and acid reflux, making it easier for people with these conditions to doze off.
Cons: At the same time, sleeping on the left side can put pressure on the stomach and lungs (alternating sides often can help prevent organ strain). And as almost all side-sleepers know well, this position can result in the dreaded squished-arm-numbness. Snuggling into bed with the arm behind the head is a common sleep position, but it may adversely affect muscles and nerves. Resting the head (or the whole body) on a single arm can restrict blood flow and press down on the nerves, which results in “rubber arm” or painful pins and needles. In this position, the shoulder supports a lot of the body’s weight, which can constrict the neck and shoulder muscles ((Sleep position and shoulder pain. Pros: Stomach sleeping eases snoring and some cases of sleep apnea, but that’s pretty much the only good thing about going belly-down at night.Cons: Resting on the tummy is widely regarded as the worst sleeping position. It flattens the natural curve of the spine, which can lead to lower back pain.