Try an Unexpected Technique a Sleep Doctor Swears By

What Is Sleep Hygiene, Exactly?

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And to be clear, thats totally okay.

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Thats because couple sleeping positions tend to happen almost entirely subconsciously at a time when youre most vulnerable.

Can sleep positions predict relationship success?

What do common couple sleeping positions mean?

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body-language expert and co-author of 33 books includingThe Body Language Handbook

The spoon

Of all the couple sleeping positions, spooning is one of the most common and recognizable.

Its saying, Im confident in myself, and Im also comfortable with you.

In more established couples, that feeling tends to go without saying (er,touching).

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The chasing spoon

Another name for this position might as well be the forced spoon.

Instead, youre being taken over, Karinch says of the person being chased.

The butt-kissers

Here, the two partners are sleeping back-to-back with their butts or low backs touching.

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You could feel very secure back-to-back, says Karinch.

Theyre likely hungry for more connection and intimacy, says Wood.

The starfish and the snail

Or, if youre a realSpongeBob SquarePantsfan, The Patrick and Gary.

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body-language expert and co-author of 33 books includingThe Body Language Handbook

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This can be a sign of selfishness in the partner whos hogging the bed, says Karinch.

But, that doesnt necessarily mean the relationship is doomed.

The nuzzle

Here, one partner sleeps with their head on the other partners chest.

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This sleeping position indicates confidence and assurance, says Wood.

The head is an incredibly vulnerable part of the body, adds Wood.

Placing the head on a partners chest indicates that youre willing to share your decision-making and thinking.

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Partners who sleep like this tend to function as a unit, she says.

The stomach sleepers

Sleeping facedown is synonymous with closing yourself off.

(Remember those windows along the front of the body that Wood noted above?)

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And the other person might be more submissive or the person being protected.

It typically happens post-sex, says Wood, before both partners make the conscious decision to go to bed.

As such, Wood considers this intimate position a bridge between sex and sleep.

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How can changing sleep positions improve my relationship?

And the same goes for working with your partner to shift your sleeping position so it aligns withtheirneeds.

To some hot and bothered sleepers, for instance, asking, Can I open a window?

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is going to bewaymore romantic than sweating through a night of spooning.

All these benefits of co-sleeping hinge on keeping your sleep disruptions to a minimum, however.

Dealing with different sleep schedules?

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Spiegelhalder, Kai et al.

Your Place or Mine?

Does the Sleep Location Matter in Young Couples?.Behavioral sleep medicinevol.

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