Actions truly speak louder than words. Often, our non-verbal expression communicates much more about us than our spoken conversations. Each night as we nod off to catch our Z’s, we tuck ourselves in and settle into a position that feels most intuitive to us. But have you ever wondered what your natural sleeping position reveals about your personality? I mean… We’re not even awake, so can they really say anything about us? Behold – for the key to decoding your waking personality is in your sleep.
In our wakeful state, our subconscious sweeps our daily interactions from the backseat of our psyche. It picks up on subtle gestures, spoken suggestions and micro-expressions. With that information, we shape our reactions based on these split-second impressions we receive.
But what do we really communicate about ourselves when we’re flying under the radar, comfy in our PJs and sound asleep?
The topic of sleep has caught our intrigue lately, and amidst preparing for the launch of the IUIGA Solitaire, it’s all we ponder about. If you’ve enjoyed our first Sleep 101 article about dreams and their meanings, you might like this. If you’ve just chanced upon this article because you’re curious, perhaps you’ll find this right up your alley of interest.
Common Sleeping Positions
Foetus
By no surprise, the most common sleeping position is the most natural one we’re biologically inclined towards. In fact, about 41% of people sleep this way every night. In this position, one sleeps on either side with their legs curled up close to their belly, just like a newborn. The tighter the Foetus curls up, the more the anxieties to deal with. If this is your preference, like a turtle, you appear tougher than you really are. You’re tenacious on the outside but sensitive deep down. With reservation also comes more reflection, so you’re prone to overthinking, which leads to sleepless nights. Try letting go more. Calm your mind before bed – perhaps with some recommendations in our Good-Night Rituals. You’ll doze off more effortlessly and wake up feeling more empowered to take on life.
Thinker
A common variant of the Foetus position, Thinkers can look like they’re deep in thoughts in their sleep. In reality, Thinkers tend to be more emotional and live life between extremes. Go big or go home? That’s Thinkers for you. Whether they express it outwardly or keep it in, they’re usually driven by an inner fire for matters that call out to them. And although they tend to be adventurous, they also wear their emotions on their sleeves. What you see is what you get. They’re genuine about their feelings and thoughts, and seldom bottle them up. You can always count on them to present their true selves to you.
Starfish/Cactus
Contrary to the Foetus, the Starfish is the least common sleeping position. But what a carefree one to doze off in. If this is your lullaby, you find yourself asleep on your back with your arms and legs stretched out. As a Starfish, you’re people-oriented. This means you prioritise your relations with others in life. You’re a great listener and always happy to lend a helping hand. Most people find you chummy and relatable, which makes perfect sense. After all, you do sleep with arms wide open (like an extended hug), exposing your most vulnerable (belly and chest) to others.
Freefaller
The Freefaller is a free spirit, unbound by conventions. If you’re one, you snooze on your belly with your arms and legs flailed by your side, appearing as if you’ve collapsed due to the gravity of tiredness. If this is your inclination, you tend to have a boisterous personality. You can be straightforward to the extent of being blunt at times, but that’s because you’re quick-witted and have thoughts running faster than a bullet train. In private, you crave control but lack follow-through. Give intention-setting a whirl before bedtime or when you awaken each day. It really helps to channel your laser-focus on a fixed objective so you make baby steps to achieving your goal.
Soldier
If you’re a Soldier, you sleep as you would when you march – on your back with your arms straight by your side. You have a proclivity to be uptight about things as you prefer working with a structure or system. You hate last minute changes. Naturally, you’re a planner and have high expectations for yourself and others. Despite your serious facade and strong resolution, people enjoy being around you. That’s because, beneath your rigid shell, you don’t play mind games. People can trust you to be authentic. And if they ever need a hand at something, they can rely on you for being hands-on. Fun fact: Soldiers have a real tendency to snore.
Log
To sleep like a Log sounds like a dream. You rest on either side with your arms and legs extended. This is the second most common position, and though it looks uncomfortable, Log sleepers are anything but rigid. They’re some of the most easy-going people you’ll know. As a Log, constant movement really gets you going. You enjoy attending social events and love encounters where you get to talk to others. At times, because of your trusting, childlike nature, you may find yourself emotionally manipulated. Remember to ground yourself in who you are before seeking others’ assurance in your identity.
Yearner
The Yearner sleeps on either side with their arms stretched out before them, as if reaching for something. If this is your go-to, you’ve a complex, polarising nature. Generally, you’re open-minded but cynical. You’re slow to decide but once your mind is made up, you’re quick to seal the deal. Sometimes you can come across as wishy-washy, but you just prefer taking your time to shape up your thoughts. Perhaps you’ll like to look into mindfulness practices that can help you with clarity of mind.
Hugger
The Hugger is a little hard to define as it’s not exactly a position, more of a habitual add-on. Regardless if it’s a pillow, bolster or stuffed toy you find yourself attached to, the act of hugging reflects how much you place importance in human connection. As a Hugger, by nature, you prefer to be accompanied and can be a bit of a people-pleaser. You put others before yourself. So, sure – you’re selfless and people love your generosity. Just make sure you’re showing yourself equal time and appreciation to recharge every night – a little self-love can’t hurt.
Stargazer
While not a mainstream sleeping position, the Stargazer has got to be one of the easiest people to be around. They’re usually filled to the brim with positivity and walk with a spring in their footsteps. They’ve got this sparkling energy that lights up rooms, and a happy-go-lucky outlook on life that’s aspirational and infectious. Sometimes, Stargazers can be idealistic and have their heads in the clouds, so it’s always good to check in with expectations to better manage this aspect of life.
Better Sleep Starts With a Better Mattress
Truth be told, while it’s fascinating to relate insights to our personality via our subconscious postures, how we sleep is largely individual. What matters more is how well we sleep, and we’d peg that down to the quality of mattress you retreat to each night. After all, what’s a mattress if not the charging pad for our daily restoration?
Not to toot our own horn, but our Seventh Heaven Memory Foam Mattress is pretty impressive. It doesn’t just offer extraordinary pressure relief to joints, it also trains your body to have correct spinal alignment through precision support as you snooze. When in use, the thick layers of supportive foam and resilient spring core melds to the natural curvature of your back for a snugglier fit and more personalised experience. No matter your sleeping position, we promise you’ll literally be on cloud nine dreaming your socks off. You won’t even feel the pea through your sheets, Princess.
Moving forward on the IUIGA Blog, we’ll be sharing more focussed themes instead of sporadic topics on a regular basis. This means you can expect more comprehensive coverage of each theme, instead of one-off reads. These articles will be in long-form for those who seek a deeper understanding. But equally, we’ll share quick five-minute reads as well, because we millennials officially have a shorter attention span than goldfishes now.
This April, we’ve been taken by all-things related to sleep. Whether they’re about dreams, pre-sleep routines to induce sleepy times or as you’ve just read – the unexpected correlation between sleeping postures and personalities, feel free to share your thoughts via the comments. We love receiving notes from you.
And if you’re new to the blog, welcome – you’ve found us. As a gift from us, use the code BLOG5 for your first purchase and #treatyourself. We offer speedy next-day delivery.
