What your sleeping position says about your relationship

The positions in which couples sleep can reflect on the dynamic of their relationship, according to psychologists.

Recent research carried out at the Edinburgh International Science Festival concluded that the distance between couples in sleep can be an indicator on their contentment with their relationship.

Eighty-six per cent of couples who slept less than an inch apart reported being happy with their relationship, a percentage which deteriorated with distance.

Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, also said sleeping in contact with each other was a factor:

94 per cent of couples who spent the night in contact with one another were happy with their relationship, compared to just 68 per cent of those that didn’t touch.

A 2012 study of 2,000 couples, conducted for the hotel chain Travelodge, also revealed the most common sleeping positions for those in relationships.

These positions were subsequently analysed by relationship psychologist Corinne Sweet

She also concluded that the positions could speak to the relationship dynamic, due to the fact you cannot fake body language as you sleep:

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.

So what does your sleeping position say about your relationship, according to Sweet? We've spelled it out below

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