In 2003, Chris Idzikowski, PhD, sleep specialist and former research director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, administered a self-reported survey to 1,004 British participants in order to draw parallels between their sleeping positions and personalities. He had survey-takers note the way they slept—like, for instance, whether they slept on their side or on their back—and then choose from a list of adjectives they believed to be most representative of their personalities. Perhaps surprisingly, the results of a factor analysis did suggest legit associations between some of the sleeping positions and personality traits of participants in this sample. (Sleep in the fetal position? You’ve got a tough exterior but a gentle soul, BBC News reported back when Dr. Idzikowski released his results.)
But as it turned out, you can’t believe everything you read. When Dr. Idzikowski’s survey was repeated with a group of residents from Southeast Asia, the sleep archetypes he originally detailed didn’t hold up. Given that replication is key to rigorous science and the identification of patterns, it’s safe to say his results aren’t substantive enough to merit credible armchair psychoanalysis on the basis of sleep position preferences.
Plus, Dr. Idzikowski himself has been quoted as saying, essentially, JK! “The original study was never more than a fun study,” he has said, pointing out that his “research” did help lead to important conclusions about which sleep positions are better for your health.
Okay, okay, you still want to know what it means that you're a yearner, a soldier, or a log. Dr. Idzikowski's findings are below—but use them as they were always intended: as entertainment.
What 6 common sleep positions may reveal about your personality
1. The fetal position
The fetal position was the most commonly reported, with 41 percent of participants endorsing it as their sleeping position of choice. According to the personality analysis, people who slept in the fetal position were like watermelons: hard on the outside with a softer interior. They were also described as being shy at first blush but warming up to new people and feeling more relaxed over time.
2. The log
This side-lying, straight-armed stance was another of the more popular positions, with 15 percent of participants indicating that they lie this way as they drift off to dreamland. Though it may sound counterintuitive, Dr. Idzikowski found that log sleepers were more likely to report a friendly, carefree, and social nature. They were also afflicted with the less-glamorous trait of gullibility.
3. The yearner
Yearners, or side sleepers with outstretched arms, made up 13 percent of the sample. Dr. Idzikowski described them as a series of contradictions; both open-minded and cynical, indecisive but stubborn.
4. The soldier
The 8 percent of participants who identified as soldier sleepers were most comfortable sleeping on their backs with both arms pinned to their sides, calling to mind the image of a stiff toy soldier. Their self-reported personality traits—quiet, reserved, and quick to set high standards for themselves and others—also fit this stereotyped soldier persona.
5. The freefall
Dr. Idzikowski deemed the 7 percent of study subjects who fell asleep on their stomachs with arms wrapped around their pillows and heads turned to one side “freefallers.” People who slept in this freefall position were more likely to describe their personality as gregarious or brash. Freefallers were also painted as sensitive to criticism; it was noted that despite expansive personas, they were thin-skinned underneath.
6. The starfish
Only 5 percent of participants reported sleeping in a starfish position, on their backs with both arms up around the pillow. Starfish sleepers described themselves as good listeners and helpful friends who prefer to avoid the limelight.
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