Have you ever wondered why you curl up on your side, sleep stretched out on your back or sleep face-down on your stomach because it feels more comfortable? You might not think it, but your favourite sleep position may be able to uncover some of your personality traits.
That’s because, sleep experts and psychologists have concluded from a number of studies they’ve conducted to date that the way you position your body when you fall asleep — most often unconsciously — reflects some pretty deep emotions, coping mechanisms and even how you engage with the world around you.
Your sleep quality today can influence your personality traits years later, according to a study published in the European Journal of Personality. Meanwhile, sleep expert Samuel Dunkell, a trailblazer in the research of human sleep behavior, has famously said: “The way we sleep is the way we live.” His research illustrates how the unconscious body language we express during sleep can reflect our emotional resilience, innermost fears and social interactions.
Want to decipher your sleep posture? Here is a humanized and reader-friendly guide to what your filled position of sleep may say about some of your repressed qualities, emotional style, or personality. Share it with friends and family—it’s scarily accurate!
Back Sleepers (The Star of the Show)
How You Sleep On Your back: “If you are a back sleeper your sleep position is reflective of someone who is confident, strong and internally calm,” Winter says. You are silently strong and seldom let stress drag you into a reactive response. Truth and honesty are important to you—you’d rather tell it like it is than disguise the truth.
Back sleepers are likely to be traditionalists with strong values, convictions and standards. You appreciate being in control, structure and routine are your friends. Underneath your serene exterior beats the heart of a true go-getter. You set high goals and believe everyone around you should be making sacrifices like you.
You are considerate with your words, cautious with your cackle and meticulous about who the flock you spend time around. Gossip, negativity and petty drama have no place in your world. What you focus on instead, is self improvement, clarity of mind and purposeful growth. You exude some kind of leadership quality — something that makes people look up to you or count on you as a source of inspiration.
This sleep preference may correspond with careers such as CEOs, Surgeons, Judge, Diplomat, Military Officer, Architect or Psychologist and is common among professors and entrepreneurs. Those are part of the warrior you already are.
Side Sleepers: (The Warm Hearted Connector Personality)
If you’re a side sleeper, you’ve probably got a warm and caring personality that draws people to you. You are someone who people feel at ease confiding in. You can talk to strangers on a bus or at work and it’s just easy.
You are always friendly and open but in reality, you let only a few selected into your inner circle of trust. You’re thoughtful, observing and (surprisingly to many) more analytical than people might think. Despite what others may believe about you, that you are gullible, in fact, you take things with pitch of salt and consider all options before deciding. You weigh your decision and that makes you reliable, intelligent.
If you sleep alone and hugging a pillow, or place a pillow between your legs when you have nightmares-on-your-stomach kind of dreams, then your soul is even more inclined to loyalty, warmth and emotionally sensitivity. You’re very protective of anyone you love, and can prioritize family or close relationships over personal ambition. You appear as someone who is nurturing, supportive—the go to friend.
Stomach Sleeping
Free-Spirited, Adventurer If you feel alive with the spirit of exploration, try stomach sleeping.
If you sleep on your stomach: Your personality: A bit of a firecracker, lots of fun and very spontaneous. You approach life in a straightforward manner — you say what’s on your mind, you take action when it feels right and you’re not afraid to confront the truth. Such straightforward honesty makes you refreshing to be around, and while it can feel blunt sometimes, the truth is always something we regard as necessary information.
You are dynamic and adventurous with an innate desire to take risks. You enjoy diversity, whether travel, careers or relationships. You are not one to sit still, and you frequently find yourself chasing experiences that leave you feeling alive and inspired.
But there are deeper currents, too. Stomach sleepers may occasionally use their happy persona to cover up hidden issues or fears. When life becomes too much, or too unpredictable, you may feel anxious or unsettled. And yet you recover and rebound with thanks and positivity, looking at progress instead of problems.
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