Ever wondered what your preferred sleep position says about your character? How about your health? Here is what experts have to say about the most effective strategies to break –and exactly what your personality says about you.
Your body language in bed
Your body language may show a great deal about your personality and your thoughts. However, you’re going to be amazed to know that your body is communication even when you are asleep.
And by this, Dr Gruener is speaking not just to your character but your wellness. Michelle Robin, DC adds that your sleeping posture can additionally affect your wellness. “If you remain in a position for hours at a time that puts a kink in your neck, numbs your arm, or hurts your hip, it takes a toll,” she clarifies, “one that is not merely physical, but also mental and energetic.” The fantastic thing is that we could even work together with our sleeping places to find the most health benefits from the time we spend sleeping in bed.
Not only does your body language influence your physical health, but it may also reflect the association between you and your spouse.
Curl up just like a baby?
“Many people fall asleep in a side-laying fetal position because it offers them a sense of safety as they doze off,” states Somnium Beds’ mattress designer, Susanne Father.
“Those who prefer the side-lying fetal position are normally sensitive, but might project a tough exterior,” reported Chris Idzikowski, PhD, who directs the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service (a group that helps UK doctors advise their patients on sleep) when he spoke to the BBC about the body language of sleeping positions.
The”yearning log” is on your side like the log except your arms are reaching out in front of you, as if you were”longing” for something or someone.
However, chiropractic expert, Dr Robin recommends you try a variation to obtain an optimum night’s rest and comfort during the day:
Knees only slightly bent (in other words, not bent up to your chest as in the fetal position)
A small pillow between the knees to keep the spine in a more favourable, and stable, alignment
Hug a pillow between your arms, which keeps the arms slightly outstretched (like a “yearner” would do) but also leaves the chest, lungs, and airways more open.
None of our experts offered an opinion as to what this position may mean about your personality.
But which side?
According to a survey conducted in the UK by mattress manufacturer, Sealy, left-side sleeping is favoured by those who work in marketing and advertising, those between the ages of 45 and 54, and those who are degree-educated, whereas right-side sleeping is favoured by those who work in transport and manufacturing, those between the ages of 35 and 44, and those who smoke and love caffeine (we’re talking 10 caffeinated drinks a day, minimum).
As for the relative benefits of each:
Left-side sleeping may improve heartburn symptoms, according to Michael Breus, MD, an Advisory Board Member to SleepScore Labs. “The reason behind this is because when you sleep in your right side, the lower oesophagal sphincter relaxes, allowing stomach acid to flow out, which could lead to aggravation,” he explains. Also, during pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association, “sleeping on your side will raise the total amount of blood and nutrients that reach the placenta and your baby.”
Right-side sleeping may be better for your heart, according to Nazma Parveen, MBBS, for the simple reason that it does not add any gravitational pressure to the core.
Tummy time
Sleeping face down is far less prevalent than side-sleeping, and experts recommend against it for women who are pregnant or have large breasts, and it’s a bad idea for anyone with neck injuries, back problems, or who own very soft mattresses. That’s because stomach-sleeping encourages back-arching, explains mattress designer, Father.
Stomach-sleeping also means that your neck is going to be stuck in one position for an extended period, says Dr Greuner. So it’s no surprise if you wake up to neck pain and experience muscle spasms and chronic pain.
According to Sealy’s research, stomach-sleepers tend to work in agriculture, to be between the ages of 45 and 54, and to be heavy drinkers (averaging the equivalent of seven to 10 units of alcohol a day–that’s about two to three beers or glasses of wine a day). According to Dr Idzikowski, however, if your sleeping position of choice is face-down with your head turned to one side, and your pillow grasped between your arms, you tend to be gregarious, and even at times brash–but you don’t like to be criticised. And you do your best to avoid extreme situations.
On the backtrack?
People who sleep flat on their back tend to work in transport and logistics, according to Sealy’s research. And they’re also most likely to wake up feeling”refreshed” But maybe that’s because back-sleepers tend to be a young group, in general, with most of them being between the ages of 25 and 34. which is the best age for sleeping soundly through the night.
Also, snoring is associated with back-sleeping, according to Dr Greuner, which means that although you may be waking up refreshed, your partner won’t be. SleepScore’s Dr Breus explains why this is: “When you are lying on your back, your neck is slimmer, which makes snoring louder and more regular.” This can be alleviated by sleeping on your side, Dr Breus advises, which may seem difficult if it’s not your preference, although there are wearable products on the market that can help. “You may even place a hard thing, like a football, at a child’s backpack and wear this to bed so, if you change onto your spine, your body will adapt itself,” he adds.
A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology also indicates that back-sleeping is terrible for unborn babies at the tail end of pregnancy, raising the risk of stillbirth.
Freestyler?
Although Dr Idzikowski’s research found that most people are unlikely to change their sleeping position from night to night, some don’t seem to favour one sleeping position over another. “Freestyle” sleepers tend to work in utilities and are typically between the ages of 35 and 44, according to Sealy’s research.
Somnium’s mattress designer, Frother, thinks that everyone’s a bit of a freestyler. “We’re all more active at night than we believe we’re,” she says. “We transfer 50 to 80 days every night, and that so-called turning and throwing is a great thing.” If we didn’t move during the night, “we would wake up feeling as though we had been stuck in the centre seat in the market on a flight that was cross-country ” Nighttime movement keeps the muscles supple and helps distribute nutrients and hormones to all parts of the body. “It affects body components which don’t possess their blood supply, such as our spinal disks, that decompresses and then return in their plump shape immediately. Two obvious results: We are slightly taller in the morning than we were when we went to bed” A portion of an inch is not very likely to generate all that much of a gap.
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