According to LittleThings.com, who spoke to body language experts and relationship psychologists with more than 30 years experience in the field, the position you prefer to sleep in with a partner speaks volumes about the state of your relationship.
In short, because we allow our subconscious to take over, our body language in slumber reveals what we can’t, or won’t, say when we’re awake.
Here’s what it all means*
*we advise you read this before forwarding to your partner
Spooning
Ah yeah...spooning! Eighteen per cent of couples love a good spoon. Although it’s considered a traditional position – a sign of one partner who is protective over another – it’s also a little bit saucy.
‘It’s a very vulnerable position that’s sexual, but says, “I trust you,”‘ says body language expert Patti Smith.
And those who spoon together, stay together, agree the experts.
Nuzzling
If one partner sleeps with their head on the other’s chest, this is the nuzzle and it indicates a high level of trust.
It’s a position often seen in the early stages of a relationship, or when a romance has been rekindled. The nuzzle is the shortest lived...and with good reason!
Back Kissing
Cheek to cheek? This means that both partners are ‘relaxed and comfortable with one another,’ and you’ve probably been together for more than year. Give yourselves a pat on the bum!
The Unraveling Knot
The one where you start off having a little cuddle and then realise that someone snoring on your face isn’t conducive to a good night’s sleep, so you move away.
This indicates a mature relationship. It’s ‘a compromise between intimacy and independence, allowing for the best of both worlds,’ explains relationship psychologist Dr Sweet.
Liberty Lovers
This is a really popular position – 27 per cent of couples do it. And, good news, it means you’re both feeling connected and secure in yourselves. Right??
The Leg Hug
If your partner intertwines their leg with yours, that could mean they are craving an emotional or sexual connection. But, if you both initiate it, it means you can’t get enough of each other. Even when you’re asleep. Ugh! GET A ROOM!...oh yeah...
The Tangle
This is another position most people only adopt early on in the relationship, or after sex. If you’re still doing it regularly after six months (the tangle, not the sex), it could be a sign of unhealthy co-dependence.
According to New York psychotherapist Elizabeth Flynn Campbell, it might mean you ‘could be overly enmeshed, too dependent on each other to sleep apart.’
GERROFFME!!
The Space Hog
Oh ohhh! If your partner’s hogging all the room, it’s a sign they expect you to play second fiddle.
Interestingly, you can also tell who’s more dominant in a relationship by where they lay their head on the pillow.
If your heads are close on the pillow, you’re equals. Those who sleep closer to the headboard tend to be more confident, and ultimately more dominant.
