What does a Couple's Sleeping Position Say about their Relationship?

Spoon with man outside

Following a study of the positions in which couples sleep, Corrine Sweet, a relationship expert spoke to HuffPo, and is of the opinion that a couple's sleeping habits can reveal stresses and strains within their relationship.

"Couples fall into habitual ways of sleeping together that suits their personalities and personal preferences. These are negotiated at the outset, so if something changes in how they sleep together, this can reflect a change in their relationship and cause concern for the other partner.

"Individual psychological states also affect how we sleep and the positions we sleep in, so if we are stressed we may be irritable, and not want to snuggle up with our partner. Arguments often lead to sleeping wide apart, as people feel loathe to touch. Women's temperatures rise with menstruation, so they may want to sleep less entwined during their 'time of the month’.”


Sleeping habits can reveal stresses and strains on a relationship, with people claiming their sex life improved if they 'cuddled-up' more while over half of adults believe they could tell if their partner was cheating on them.

For about four out of seven days of the week, spooning with the man outside is the way Atala and I fall asleep. What I have noticed though is that most times, by the time I wake up in the middle of the night, we may have changed positions. I wonder if they took that into consideration in this study.

But I do agree that time of the month can be a factor. During some parts of my cycle, I'm all over him, and at other times, I'm like, "eh...abeg take your leg off me, it's too heavy" lol...

For those interested, these are the individual sleeping positions explained:

Symbolically curled positions in sleep mean “I want to trust others and feel safe”
Bodies stretched out in sleep mean “I want to take charge and experience adventure”
Hands curled inwards mean “I want to cuddle and connect”
Hands wrapped around a pillow can indicate a cuddly nature. If hands and/or arms are held, or pressed tightly, or straight down at the sides it means “I want to be alone”
Sleeping on your stomach temporarily typically shows you are anxious or feel things are out of control and need to protect the vulnerable front of your body
An individual who always sleeps on his/her stomach but with arms bent and hands up around the head in a crown position is showing s/he is persistent, goal oriented, compulsive and stubborn