What your sleeping position says about you and how it impacts your health

What your sleeping position says about you and how does it impact your health
Who doesn’t love the feeling of climbing into bed after a long day, snuggling under your warm duvet, and finding that perfect warm spot before falling asleep — it’s the ideal night-time scenario! But what is the ultimate warm spot for you? What sleeping position does your body love to find itself in? And what does that say about you? Your sleeping positions go beyond the back, stomach or side and each position has a lot of information to offer about who you are. Are you a sleeping soldier or a cuddled-up baby? Find out what your sleeping position says about your personality.

Sleepy body language

Many studies have shown how body language can reveal a lot about your personality and your thoughts, but it may be surprising to note that your body is still communicating even when you’re asleep.

On average, individuals spend around six to eight hours per day sleeping, so of course, your sleeping position reveals a lot about you — personality, health and more!

Curl up tight

Knees bent towards your chest, laying on your side and curled up like a baby. The baby position is one of the most common sleeping positions around. Who doesn’t love curling up after a long day? Those that favour this type of side-lying sleeping position often tend to be sensitive and seek some form of security but may project a tougher exterior. Fetal sleepers are generally quite personable, even if they come off shy upon first meeting people.

On the health side, curling up in a ball may lead to arthritic pain due to bent knees and curved necks. Do you wake up with a tighter chest than throughout the rest of the day? The curving of the body may restrict diaphragmatic breathing. A tip to help correct your posture is to place a pillow in between your knees to align your spine.

Flat on your back

Those who sleep flat on their backs are individuals who tend to wake up feeling refreshed. Sleeping on your back can help relieve different types of pain while also taking pressure off your spine and promoting good spinal alignment. What’s more, since back sleeping means you don’t press your face into your pillow every night, this position could help you avoid premature facial wrinkles.

Although it may be true that individuals who sleep on their backs may wake up feeling well-rested, this position is vastly associated with snoring — which may not leave your partner waking up as refreshed as you are.

There are two distinctive types of groups that sleep on their backs, the starfishes and the soldiers.

Asian man sleeping on his back, arms behind head

The starfish

You lay on your back with your arms splayed open, arms up by your pillow. People who sleep like this may have an uncommon style, but are very loyal friends and make relationships a great priority. They love to be supportive, act as a sounding board for their friends’ problems, and will go out of their way to help. This makes perfect sense since the shooting star pose makes them look like they are perpetually reaching their arms out for a hug.

What’s great about this neutral position is that it prevents back and neck pain, and can even prevent acid reflux by keeping your head elevated above the stomach.

The soldier

You lie on your back with both arms down by your sides. Up and at ‘em, Sargent! A person that sleeps in the sleepy soldier sleep position sleeps on their back, with their arms straight down at their side — like they are standing at attention. Sleepy soldiers live up to their name. They are strong, silent, and focused people who don’t like a big fuss. They love structure and take themselves very seriously. This also means that they may hold themselves and others to high standards.

A tip for you if this is your slumbering posture: a smaller pillow (or even a rolled towel) under your knees can work wonders for better back sleeping. This helps your spine maintain its slight curve.

The skydiver

You lie on your stomach with your hands up by your pillow and your head turned to the side, like a skydiver. As the name suggests, skydiver sleepers have open, playful, and downright fun personalities. They are usually to the point with what they want, but sometimes this comes off as brash. They may seem free-spirited, but skydiver sleepers can be secretly anxious and crave control of a situation. They tend to be risk-takers.

Sleeping face down is far less popular than side-sleeping and it’s a bad idea for anyone with neck injuries, back problems, or who owns very soft mattresses. That’s because stomach-sleeping encourages back-arching. Stomach-sleeping also means that your neck is going to be stuck in one position for an extended period of time, so it’s no surprise if you wake up to neck pain and experience muscle spasms and chronic pain. If your head always faces the same way, you’ll probably begin to notice some daytime stiffness before long. If you’ve tried and failed to get comfortable in any other position, though, stomach sleeping might be the best position for you. Try changing the direction of your head regularly instead of always facing left or right.

If your sleeping position of choice is face-down with your head turned to one side and your pillow grasped between your arms, you have a tendency to be social. Some say these free fallers don’t take criticism well and tend to be brash, bold, and outspoken in nature.

The freefall position may feel more comfortable to those looking to relieve pressure on the shoulders and hips. If this is your position of choice, avoid numb, stiff hands by extending your arms out to either side instead. Instead of bending one of your knees, keep both legs straight and slightly apart.

child sleeping facedown over edge of bed.

The yearning dreamer

You snooze on their sides, with arms stretched out in front of you: think like a mummy. People who choose this position are typically inviting and open, yet they can be suspicious of new friends and acquaintances. Once a bond is formed, this dreamer makes a good and reliable friend.

This position can prevent extra pressure on your wrists and hands, so it may help to adjust your arms if you often wake up with numb or tingling hands.
Giving this position a try may also help if you typically prefer the fetal position but “yearn” to wake up free of tension and pain. Sleeping too tightly curled can sometimes lead to discomfort and stiffness the next day.

Out like a log

The sleeper rests on its side, legs extended straight and arms in place. Though the sleep position looks stiff, a sleeper with this style is anything but rigid and cold. Log sleepers are typically social and easygoing people. They are also very trusting, which can sometimes make them seem a little more gullible to outsiders.

This position keeps your neck and back in alignment, making it one of the best positions for back pain and neck pain. You can also add a pillow or blanket between your knees in this position to help ease any discomfort. There is a potential for some arm numbness, or neck and shoulder pain in this position, but don’t worry, it can easily be remedied by more pillows of course! Place a pillow under your arms, or if you’re feeling cuddly, hug a pillow while you sleep.

But which side is the best?

Left-side sleeping may improve heartburn symptoms. The reason for this is that when you sleep on your right side, the lower oesophagal sphincter relaxes, allowing stomach acid to leak out, which can result in irritation. In addition, during pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association, sleeping on your left side will increase the amount of blood and nutrients that reach the placenta and your baby.

Right-side sleeping may be better for your heart, for the simple reason that it does not add any gravitational pressure to the heart.

Freestyler

Most people prefer one sleeping position but there are those who don’t seem to favour just one sleeping position all night long. We introduce to you the freestyle sleepers.
Nighttime movement keeps the muscles supple and helps distribute nutrients and hormones to all parts of the body.

Let’s finally put this to bed

Sleeping positions are just ways of your body communication through another form of body language, but this should also not be interpreted too deeply. Please remember we are experts in mattresses and not doctors, so please book a medical appointment for any serious concerns regarding your sleep.

Young girl sleeping peacefully with head on a pillow

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