What Your Sleeping Position With A Partner Says About Your Relationship

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  • 1/10
    Liberty Lovers: If you and your partner sleep facing opposite directions with space in-between ­– don’t fret! This is actually a good thing. According to a study done by relationship psychologist Corrine Sweet, couples that sleep back-to-back without touching are “connected and secure in themselves. This position shows both closeness and independence in the relationship.
    1/10 Liberty Lovers: If you and your partner sleep facing opposite directions with space in-between ­– don’t fret! This is actually a good thing. According to a study done by relationship psychologist Corrine Sweet, couples that sleep back-to-back without touching are “connected and secure in themselves. This position shows both closeness and independence in the relationship.
  • 2/10
    The Nuzzle: This sweet position, in which one partner rests their head on the other’s chest, while their legs are intertwined is often seen in early relationships and occasionally rekindled ones, according to Dr. Sweet.
    2/10 The Nuzzle: This sweet position, in which one partner rests their head on the other’s chest, while their legs are intertwined is often seen in early relationships and occasionally rekindled ones, according to Dr. Sweet.
  • 3/10
    The Space Hog: If a partner takes the “starfish position,” one in which they sprawl out and hog the bed, this means that they tend to be selfish — especially if they begin to push the other partner so they’re hanging off the bed.
    3/10 The Space Hog: If a partner takes the “starfish position,” one in which they sprawl out and hog the bed, this means that they tend to be selfish — especially if they begin to push the other partner so they’re hanging off the bed.
  • 4/10
    The Tangle: This extremely intimate position is even more rare than the Spoon. It tends to happen when there is either intense emotions at play (like after lovemaking) or at the start of a romantic relationship. Some couples maintain it throughout their relationship but it isn’t necessarily a good thing. According to Elizabeth Flynn Campbell, a New York psychotherapist, “[the couple] could be overly enmeshed, too dependent on each other to sleep apart."
    4/10 The Tangle: This extremely intimate position is even more rare than the Spoon. It tends to happen when there is either intense emotions at play (like after lovemaking) or at the start of a romantic relationship. Some couples maintain it throughout their relationship but it isn’t necessarily a good thing. According to Elizabeth Flynn Campbell, a New York psychotherapist, “[the couple] could be overly enmeshed, too dependent on each other to sleep apart."
  • 5/10
    The Unraveling Knot: This position starts with The Tangle position, but then unravels after 10 minutes or so. Believe it or not, this position is a sign of a stronger relationship than The Tangle. Yet only eight percent of couples adopt this two-part position. Dr. Sweet said it’s, “A compromise between intimacy and independence, allowing for the best of both worlds.”
    5/10 The Unraveling Knot: This position starts with The Tangle position, but then unravels after 10 minutes or so. Believe it or not, this position is a sign of a stronger relationship than The Tangle. Yet only eight percent of couples adopt this two-part position. Dr. Sweet said it’s, “A compromise between intimacy and independence, allowing for the best of both worlds.”
  • 6/10
    The Back Kissers: If you sleep back-to-back but you touch with your butts or backs, this is also a good thing — but it’s also novel. According to Dr. Sweet, this means, “Both partners are relaxed and comfortable with one another.” Yet this position is more common amongst newer couples, or those that have been together for under a year, rather than a more long-term duo.
    6/10 The Back Kissers: If you sleep back-to-back but you touch with your butts or backs, this is also a good thing — but it’s also novel. According to Dr. Sweet, this means, “Both partners are relaxed and comfortable with one another.” Yet this position is more common amongst newer couples, or those that have been together for under a year, rather than a more long-term duo.
  • 7/10
    The Chase: This is like spooning, but it’s when one person is in pursuit of the other. One person has drifted to the other side of the bed, and the other one is “chasing” them. This can mean two things. One that the person who is being chased wants to be pursued, or is playing hard to get.
    7/10 The Chase: This is like spooning, but it’s when one person is in pursuit of the other. One person has drifted to the other side of the bed, and the other one is “chasing” them. This can mean two things. One that the person who is being chased wants to be pursued, or is playing hard to get.
  • 8/10
    The Leg Hug: According to Wood, if your partner plays footsie with you in bed, or intertwines their legs with yours, it means they crave an emotional or sexual connection. A pair of tangled legs is also a sign that the two of you can’t get enough of each other — even when you’re sleeping. “It means your lives are intertwined, that you function as a pair. You probably finish each other’s sentences and take care of each other,” Wood said.
    8/10 The Leg Hug: According to Wood, if your partner plays footsie with you in bed, or intertwines their legs with yours, it means they crave an emotional or sexual connection. A pair of tangled legs is also a sign that the two of you can’t get enough of each other — even when you’re sleeping. “It means your lives are intertwined, that you function as a pair. You probably finish each other’s sentences and take care of each other,” Wood said.
  • 9/10
    The Loose Spoon: New couples tend to have the most physical contact in bed, but once the relationship matures, the novelty of sharing a mattress wears off. The loose spoon is typically what a couples that are a fans of spooning eventually do once their relationship matures and each individual wants to revert to a position that produces the best quality sleep, said Paul Rosenblatt, author of Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing. It’s like the big spoon saying, “I’ve got your back, you can count on me,” but it’s not as sexual as spooning closer, Woods said.
    9/10 The Loose Spoon: New couples tend to have the most physical contact in bed, but once the relationship matures, the novelty of sharing a mattress wears off. The loose spoon is typically what a couples that are a fans of spooning eventually do once their relationship matures and each individual wants to revert to a position that produces the best quality sleep, said Paul Rosenblatt, author of Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing. It’s like the big spoon saying, “I’ve got your back, you can count on me,” but it’s not as sexual as spooning closer, Woods said.
  • 10/10
    The Spoon: According to a study done by relationship psychologist Corrine Sweet, the position is only adopted by a fifth (or 18 percent) of couples and demonstrates a dynamic in which, “ One partner takes a protective stance over the other."
    10/10 The Spoon: According to a study done by relationship psychologist Corrine Sweet, the position is only adopted by a fifth (or 18 percent) of couples and demonstrates a dynamic in which, “ One partner takes a protective stance over the other."

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Research has shown that the way we sleep can say a lot about who we are as individuals. So what happens when you put two different personalities into one bed?

Littlethings.com has revealed some fascinating findings in some recent studies. Our subconscious mind takes over when we are asleep, therefore how we sleep with our partner can indicate what’s going on in our relationships!

For example, you can tell who is dominating a relationship by where their heads are when they sleep. When a couple’s heads are right next to each other, it means they are equal, and if they touch, even better — it’s a sign that they have like minds and know what’s going on in each other’s heads.

Take a look at the gallery to see what your sleeping positions might suggest about your relationship!