How to Grow Hair Faster: Some Tips for Growth

It’s that time of day — or night — again. With your nighttime routine completed, you turn out the lights, push back your covers, and snuggle into bed. How do you settle down under the covers?
By this point, your sleeping position may be entirely habitual. If you’ve settled into the same position in bed since childhood, you might not consciously think about it each night.

Yet whether you immediately turn over to one side after falling back onto your pillows or spend time switching between poses to get a little more comfortable, your preferred sleep posture can offer some important insights about your health.
Certain sleep positions have been linked to health concerns or better wellness outcomes — we’ll explore those below. But does your regular sleep position really have anything to do with who you are as a person, as some experts have suggested? Read on for more insight.

The link between sleeping position and personality
You probably don’t think much about what your typical sleep position means, other than a desire for optimal comfort while you snooze. Yet some sleep psychologists and experts have suggested personality can factor into sleep position and offer some insight about your traits and behaviors.
Professor and sleep expert Chris Idzikowski surveyed just over 1,000 British adults to uncover any links between sleep position and personality.

He used these results to draw connections between common sleep positions and personality traits. A few of his findings:
• The fetal position is most common, particularly among women. This position can be linked to shyness and sensitivity.
• People who sleep on one side with arms outstretched may be open-natured but somewhat suspicious. They also tend to stick with their decisions.
• Stomach sleeping with hands up or under the pillow is linked to a sociable nature and a dislike of criticism.
A survey on sleep position among Americans conducted by the Better Sleep Council (BSC) yielded a few other insights. Here’s a quick snapshot:
• People who sleep in a log position (on one side with both arms down) believe they get enough sleep and are “healthier” than people who prefer other positions.
• People who have a graduate degree or higher are more likely to prefer the fetal position than those who’ve completed less education.
• Generation X and millennials are more likely to prefer stomach sleeping than baby boomers. Baby boomers, on the other hand, are more likely to sleep on one side with arms outstretched.
• Introverted people are more likely to avoid sleeping on their stomachs with arms raised.

Again, surveys aren’t the same as controlled trials and other scientific studies, and other sleep experts are less certain about the link between sleep and personality.
The link between sleeping position and your health
There’s far more evidence to link sleep position with certain aspects of health and wellness — both positive and negative. Here’s what to know about each sleeping position.

Side sleeping
Experts often recommend side sleeping, since this position can help relieve snoring and improve digestion.
If you sleep on your right side, though, you might notice worsening symptoms of acid reflux or other digestive issues. Sleeping on your left side keeps your stomach below your esophagus and makes it tougher for stomach acid to rise.
Side sleeping during pregnancy is associated with improved maternal and fetal healthTrusted Source, but the left side is favored here, too. Left side sleeping not only reduces heartburn, but it also helps promote blood flow and relieves pressure on the uterus.
Side sleeping may also help relieve lower back pain and improve spinal alignment, but you might find sleeping on your side difficult if you have neck or shoulder pain.

Stomach sleeping
While stomach sleeping may have some benefitsTrusted Source for obstructive sleep apnea and chronic snoring, it also puts stress on your neck and lower back, particularly if you sleep on a softer bed. This strain can throw your spine out of alignment and cause lingering daytime pain.
Back sleeping
Sleeping on your side or stomach can increase intraocular pressureTrusted Source, a risk factor for glaucoma. If you have sensitive skin, you might also notice pressing your face into the pillow leads to more breakouts, irritation, or even facial creases when you wake up. Enter: back sleeping.
Though back sleeping can offer benefits at any age — pediatricians recommend putting infants to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) — back isn’t always best for adults.

“People with obstructive sleep apnea, a serious medical condition where the airway repeatedly becomes blocked during sleep, tend to have more breathing problems when back sleeping,” Wu explains. “This is likely because the airway is more easily blocked when lying on the back.”
And what about back pain? Some people with lower back or neck pain find that back sleeping worsens the pain. For others, back sleeping is the only position that offers any relief.