It’s no secret that sex can lead to sleep, but it turns out that sleeping a certain way can also lead to more sex.
New research conducted by Mattress Advisor has found that the way couples are hitting the hay actually has an effect on how much they get busy between the sheets – and that some of the most popular positions out there are less than romantic.
According to the survey of 1,000 people, falling asleep while facing each other with limbs intertwined is the position that correlated the most with sex, with people sleeping in this position rating their frequency of sex sessions at a 4.2 out of five.
Getting it together: New research into couples’ sleeping habits has found that couples prefer to sleep back-to-back
Switching it up: The survey also discovered that lying face-to-face with limbs intertwined was the position most associated with sex – followed by spooning
In a distant second, spooning is next up for the position most related to sex, but as the rest of the data shows, this is a problematic position for many couples.
Indeed, it is only when men serve as the big spoon that the position ranks up there on the list of positions most likely to lead to sex; on the flip side, when women are forced to be the big spoon, the position was ranked as the ‘most annoying’ – in other words, a real mood killer.
The poll found that sleeping back to back with a little space between bodies is the position of choice for the biggest number of couples – and is the top choice for 37.5 per cent of couples who have been together for more than 30 years.
Sleeping on your side generally appears to be the preferred position, as the top two other favorite pics also involve the curled-up method.
And it’s no surprise, as the brand explains: ‘Sleep scientists promote curling up on one’s side, citing benefits ranging from improved breathing to reduced lower back pain.’
Although it rated number two in the ranking of positions most likely to lead to sex, men rated spooning as their second most annoying sleep position, topped only by lying on their back with their partner lying partially on top of them.
Getting comfortable: When it comes to preferences between the genders, both men and women agreed that sleeping back-to-back was best
Difference of opinion: As for least favorite positions, men aren’t fans of lying on their back while women loathe being the big spoon in bed
Over time: Preferred positions also change over time, with sleeping back to back becoming more common as couples’ relationships last
But it isn’t lying in the spooning position that is the problem; it’s rather the proximity, as spooning with a bit of space in between is actually the second favorite way to sleep among men in relationships.
As for women, they most dislike being the big spoon – followed by being the little spoon – and aside from the consensus over sleeping facing apart, women most prefer face-on sleeping with limbs intertwined.
Of course, these positions don’t all tend to keep overnight, with more than three quarters (76.5 per cent) of respondents saying that the positions change during the night.
Get around: Couples sleeping back-to-back were least likely to change position in the night according to this night-moves diagram
On the move: Couples who spoon are the least likely to maintain the position through the night, with more than a third turning away
Big difference: The survey also found that 96 per cent of people who are well-rested report being satisfied in their relationship, as opposed to 74.5 per cent of poor sleepers
The back-to-back method seems to be the position that changes the least as the night goes on – though 13 per cent say that the space between them tends to decrease.
Sleepers who spoon report the most movement in the night, with 35 per cent saying that they end up turning away from each other as they snooze.
But the survey also discovered that it isn’t just the way that couples sleep that can affect the relationship; it’s also the quality of their sleep.
Only 74.5 per cent of those who reported sleeping poorly say that they are satisfied in their relationship – as opposed to 95.9 per cent of those who claim to be well-rested.
Of course, it could be the unhappiness in the relationship that is causing the lack of sleep, rather than the other way around as research reveals that couples are more likely to report hostility between them when one or both partners isn’t getting enough shut-eye.