She Strengthens

Unlock the Secrets of Your Sleep Position

While you may not give much thought to how you sleep, your preferred sleep position can reveal a lot about your health and personality. From side sleepers to back sleepers, each position has its own unique characteristics and benefits.

What Does Your Sleep Position Say About Your Personality?

Research suggests that your sleep position may be linked to your personality traits. While the findings aren’t consistent, some sleep psychologists believe that your preferred sleep position can reveal aspects of your personality. Here are six common sleep positions and what they may say about you:

• Fetal Sleepers: Shy at first, but hidden teddy bears with a sweet and caring nature.
• Yearners: Open-natured and set in their choices, but also suspicious and cynical at times.
• Log Sleepers: Easy-going, social, and trusting, with a strong sense of camaraderie.
• Soldier Sleepers: Quiet and reserved, with high standards and a strong sense of discipline.
• Starfish Sleepers: Helpful, good listeners, and humble, with a tendency to avoid the spotlight.
• Freefall Sleepers: Adventurous and spontaneous, but also sensitive to criticism and extreme situations.

What Does Your Sleep Position Say About Your Health?

The link between sleep position and health is more solidly grounded in science. Here’s what research suggests about each sleep position:

• Side Sleepers: Better digestion, relief from snoring, and improved maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. However, side sleeping can put pressure on shoulders and cause tension in the head and face.
• Back Sleepers: Spinal alignment, reduced tension headaches, and eased pressure points. However, back sleeping can worsen sleep apnea and make digestive issues like acid reflux worse.
• Stomach Sleepers: Relief from chronic snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, but also added strain on the back and neck, potentially leading to chronic back pain.

Making Your Sleep Position Work for You

Getting quality sleep depends on more than just your sleep position. If you’re waking up to pain or tiredness, it may be worth trying a new position or altering your current position to maximize its benefits. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your sleep:

• Side Sleepers: Choose a firm pillow, place a pillow between your legs, and support your arms with a body pillow.
• Back Sleepers: Put a small pillow under your knees, ease neck pain with a rounded pillow, and elevate your head with a wedge pillow.
• Stomach Sleepers: Regularly change the direction of your head, opt for a firmer mattress, and use a thin, flat pillow (or no pillow at all!).

Takeaway

While there’s limited research linking sleep position to personality, there’s plenty of science-backed evidence to help you decide what your preferred sleep position says about your health. If you’re waking up with pain or discomfort, try switching up your sleep style or talk with a sleep specialist. But if you’re sleeping soundly and waking refreshed, there’s little need to worry about your sleep position or what it means.