What does your sleep position reveal about your personality?
by Jessica Ashley, Shine staff, on Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:55pm PDT

These days, the way that I sleep simply says, "I am happy to be single and spending five to seven hours sprawled out in the center of my bed alone."

At other points, my tightly squeezed eyes and curled-up body would have screamed, "I know the baby will wake up/someone will start snoring/the alarm will begin blaring as soon as I finally, finally, finally get to sleep."

Years and years ago, the corpse-looking college student still in her clothes would have mumbled something like, "Finals. Boys. Beer."

Our lives, the amount of sleep we get, and how well we actually rest during those nighttime hours may change drastically over time. However, one sleep researcher says that our body position in bed could say something about who we are, not just what else is happening in our lives.
Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, says that a study of 1,000 Brits revealed that the six most common sleeping positions are indicative of personality types.

If this sounds ridiculous (and honestly, I'd love to see information on this study and the analysis fleshed out further than any of the reports I could find), consider that Idzikowski says it comes down to body language.

"We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us," Idzikowski said. "What's interesting is that the profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect."

The research also links certain sleeping positions with health risks. Some aid digestion while others spur on snoring and restlessness.

Here are the six common sleeping positions and correlated personality traits and health implications, according to this study.

[graphic via BBC.com]

Fetus position - A whopping 41% of participants sleep in this curled-up manner. Women are twice as likely to rest like this and it is listed as the most common position. These sleepers are said to have a tough exterior but are still sensitive and may appear to be shy but warm up quickly.

Log position - If you sleep on your side with both arms down, you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting, sometimes to the point of being gullible. The study showed 15% of people sleep like a log.

Yearner position - A close third is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body, with 13% of partipants sleeping like this. Yearners are noted to be open-minded and still cynical, suspicious, and stubborn about sticking to decisions once they are made.

Soldier position - These sleepers lie on their backs with arms down and kept close to the body. This 8% study is said to be reserved, quiet, without fuss, and hold themselves and others to a high standard. Soldier sleepers have a higher likelihood for snoring due to the flat-back position, which may not cause them to wake up often but may result in a less restful night's sleep.

Freefall position - Those people who lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow with head turned to the side, make up 7% of the population studied. Freefallers are brash, outgoing, and are very uncomfortable with criticism.

Starfish position - Sleepers who lie on their backs with arms up near their head or the pillow account for 5% of participants. These people are good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention. People who sleep in starfish position are more likely to snore and to suffer from a poor night's sleep more often.

If you think you are one of those people who move through all of these positions, that's not likely to really be the case. Idzikowski said the research reveals most people stay in the same position all night and only 5% lay differently night by night. Also interesting is that the study showed only one in ten people cover their bodies entirely with a blanket, with most people exposing an arm, leg, or both feet.

FIFTY USEFUL TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP

DISCLAIMER: The is article or information does not give tax advise, legal advise or health advise. Please consult a professional before attempting or doing any of the information in this article.

You can sleep without pills and still beat insomnia "The fifty" following tips will help you to have a better night's sleep

1. Try to relax before bedtime; take a walk or read a newspaper; just do something which is not stressful.
2. Do your paperwork or other work-related activities early in the evening.
3. Make sure your bedroom is not noisy.
4. If your bedroom is noisy and you can't correct it, wear earplugs.
5. Think of places you fell asleep easily and try to copy those places; set your room up the same way.
6. Check the medicines you are taking to see that they aren't nervous system stimulants.
7. Make sure your bedroom is well-ventilated but not too cold.
8. Don't use too many or too few blankets.
9. Don't tuck your sheets in too tight at the bottom of the bed; your feet should feel free and unrestricted.
10. Your mattress should not sag.
11. Have a big enough bed for yourself; if you're 6'8", don't try sleeping in a single bed.
12. Your pajamas or nightgown should be comfortable, not too tight.
13. Use a pillow that suits you, soft or firm, whichever you prefer; or not at all, if that's what you prefer.
14. If you like a soft light on while you sleep, have one on.
15. If you prefer to sleep in darkness make sure your blinds are thick.
16. Rise at the same time seven days a week, no matter what.
17. Do not linger in bed when you wake up; instead, get up right away and start moving on with your morning routine.
18. Avoid napping in the afternoon.
19. Do some sort of physical exercise each day which will tire you out.
20. Cut down on smoking and drinking alcohol at least two hours before bedtime.
21. Don't drink coffee or soft drinks containing caffeine after dinner.
22. If you like to watch TV before going to bed, keep it light; watch a comedy instead of a drama.
23. If you like to read before going to bed keep it light. Read to a logical stopping point, so you won't lie awake wondering what's going to happen.
24. Don't socialize with friends with whom you are likely to argue in the evening. Nighttime arguments are like poison to an insomniac.
25. Establish a regular bed-time.
26. Avoid eating too much salt with your dinner and in any after-dinner snacks.
27. Try eating snacks high in calcium and protein before retiring; small amounts of cheese and nuts contain Tryptophan, an amino acid which promotes sleep:
28. Take bone meal tablets or some other form of calcium regularly after dinner.
29. Herbal teas such as chamomile and valerian induce sleep.
30. Try a teaspoon of brewer's yeast and a tablespoon of molasses in a glass of milk.
31. Don't forget about a glass of warm milk before bed; it does work.
32. A teaspoon of honey in a cup of hot water is said to induce sleep.
33. Another old-fashioned remedy is to take two teaspoons of cider vinegar with two
teaspoons honey in a glass of warm water.
34. Ask your spouse which sleeping position you sleep most soundly in; try to assume that position upon retiring.
35. Don't go for 8 hours of sleep; you may only need 4 to 6 hours.
36. Spend no more than 3 minutes thinking about the day's problems when you are in bed.
37. If you find it difficult to sleep with your spouse, try getting twin beds or separate bedrooms.
38. The optimum temperature for sleep is 60 to 64 degrees F.
39. Relax before bed in a warm bath.
40. Buy a humidifier to keep your room warm in the winter without drying out the air too much.
41. Add a tablespoon of dry mustard powder to your before-bed bath.
42. Add baking soda to the bath water,
43. Footbaths before bed help.
44. Before bed, listen to relaxing music.
45. When you are in bed, recall the happiest experiences of your life.
46. Ask someone to read aloud to you in bed before you go to sleep.
47. Lie on your back in bed and relax each muscle in your body.
48. Visualize various parts of your body relaxing.
49. Concentrate on doing some deep breathing as you lie in
50. If all else fails, try counting sheep; it's an age-old cure and has helped many an insomniac get a good nights sleep.

My Dream Made Me Do It

Welcome once again to another post on “Not This Blog”. Wow, hope I am not starting to sound like Casey Kasem…lol. Ok, so this is an interesting topic having to do with dreams.

After along day, you finally get into a warm cozy bed with your partner, you exchange a kiss, say good night and turn off the lights. As you head into a deep sleep and you body is nice and relaxed…you begin to see a beautiful white sandy beach; your sitting down having a drink, enjoying the sun; seeing the people talking and the children playing and then you see this one incredibly hot looking babe in a bitsy-tiny white bikini walking towards, then she reaches and with a smile she says, “Hello” in a sultry voice. Your speechless, dumb-founded, all that came out of your mouth was a bunch or babble, so she laughs and sits down next to you…of course you can’t remove your eyes from her and then she says to you, “My name is Yolanda”, you think to your self…hmmm…yummy Yolanda, then you say to her, “oh nice to meet you Yolanda”, she giggles and then leans towards you and whispers in your ear…”Who in the hell is Yolanda” and then you feel a hard slap in the head and the next thing you know your next to your partner, who at the moment is boiling hot, hands crossed in front of her…breathing hard. Once again the question is blurted out, “Who is Yolanda…or Yummy Yolanda”. Your not sure what is going on…your confused…your head hurts from the dream and the smack, so you blurt out the only thing that comes to mind, “WHO”.

Then your dearest says, “What do you mean WHO, Yolanda, the woman you called out while you were sleeping and called Yummy (sarcastically)”. So at this point you start remember parts of the dream and of course the white bikini pokes you in the ribs. At this point you don’t know what to say, and of course being a man…the only thing that comes out is, “Ahhh come on…it was only a dream…it doesn’t mean anything…I don’t know any Yolanda…go back to sleep. So you roll over and throw the covers over you and hope that your dearest does the same thing. “Hmmm”, she says and turns off the lights and lays down…of course she mumbles loud enough for you to hear, “This isn’t over yet…We’ll talk about this in the morning”.

So, I am wondering how many of you have had something like this happen to you or your love one. You know, having a dream about someone else and then mentioning the name while you sleep. I have seeing quite a few relationships broken up for things like this. So, the thing is…is it right for a love one to get upset over a dream? I mean, in many cultures dreams are taken seriously because it could have some meaning behind them. I know a few people that have to run out and look up to see what their dream meant. If you look at medical studies, or topics on dreams, it seems that dreams are manifested…ok big word…dreams come from real life experiences that have possibly impacted your day. People believe that, if you had a dramatic/impacting experience throughout the day, such as stress or excitement that can lead to a dream. I don’t know…the thing is…sometimes relationships get into trouble…because of a dream.

“What are your thoughts…have you had this happen to you, please share.”

My Perspective:
I think there is some truth behind a connection between your daily experiences and dreams. You see I recall several month ago I was having trouble sleeping…I kept having these vivid dreams…sort of scary…I kept seeing shadows.and they felt so real…so I would jump out of bed sweating. This went on for several months and I kept mentioning to my dearest that I feel something is wrong.I can’t put my finger on it…she actually didn’t say a thing…sort of brushed it off...oh well. Anyhow, I have been under a lot of pressure…my life can really get busy at times…well actually all the time it’s a crazy day. Anyhow, back to my dreams or shadows; so I kept having bad, sleepless nights and I seriously was getting tired of…comical is-in-it…so I decides to look to see what might be the cause…so I started to pay more attention to my days…to see what might be triggering these shadows that are causing me to wake up in the middle of the night sweating. So let me tell you what I finally found out the cause…I think you’ll find this interesting. One day as I was getting home from work…I ran into a neighbor…we exchanged pleasantries and went on our separate ways. Now, let me tell you this guy is over 6’7” maybe taller…he is a giant. So, anyhow…that night once again as I was sleeping I had another site of a shadow…but this time I didn’t jump up or get scared…I stared at the shadow and got a shape out of it…so you know what shape it was…it was a tall, thin shape…when I looked closer I saw the shape of my neighbor…sure enough at that moment the shadow disappeared and I went back to sleep…restful. Now I didn’t have an argument with my neighbor…I realized that all my shadows where the last (impressive) image I had seen for the day. As I look back I finally started remember the other shadows I was seeing. So, I released that my stressful days together with the last impressive thing I saw was giving me nightmares (sort of speaking). So what I am doing now before I go to sleep, I wind-down, relax, take my mind some where else…this may sound corny, but it works for me and now I actually sleep through the night. Ok let me rephrase that…I have a new born…so sleep is not an options, but at l4east I got past my shadowy nights. So, I think there is some connection between your everyday experiences and dreams.

Thanks for reading and until next time, sleep well.