Sleep positions of couples at sleep onset: A questionnaire study

Abstract

How and with whom we spend the night has changed over time; in modern times it is common for couples to share beds. Although research has shown that co-sleeping affects sleep architecture, the relationship between the couples’ waking lives and their nightly behavior has rarely been studied in detail. The present study investigated 90 participants with stable relationships regarding their sleep-onset position while sharing the bed with their partner and relationship characteristics like satisfaction and duration via questionnaire. Spooning was the most common sleep-onset position. A small but non-significant correlation between the intimacy of the couples’ position at sleep onset and overall relationship quality was found; however relationship duration was associated with less intimate sleep onset positions. Future studies should elicit the include questions about the couples’ sleep rhythm, possible co-sleeping of children, and the presence of sleep disorders.