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The position determines your relationship status

Being pushed off the bed. Picture credit: www.deviantart.com
Being pushed off the bed. Picture credit: www.deviantart.com

Snoring and bad breath could affect the distance between the couple.

A couple who sleeps face to face or back to back, with or without physical contact, might very well want just a good night's sleep, however according to a study presented at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, these sleeping positions are a  good indicator of whether your relationship is going south or not.

Couples who face each other and sleep closer together in their bed at night are more likely to be happy in their relationship even if their other half snores or has bad breath.

On the other hand, snoring and bad breath could affect the distance between the couple. Moreover, some people faced away from their partner while sleeping as they do not like somebody else's breath on them

The study, led by Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, was based on a survey of 1,000 couples. Among those questioned, 42% reported sleeping back to back, 31% in the same direction and 4% face to face.

Of the couples who maintained physical contact throughout the night, 94% said they were happy with their relationship, compared to just 68% of those who maintained a certain distance while sleeping.

The study also found that 86% of couples who slept one inch from each other or less declared themselves to be happy, compared to 66% of those who were separated by a distance of 30 inches or more.

The key issue is if you have a couple who used to sleep close together but are now drifting further apart in bed, then that could symptomatic of them growing apart when they are awake," Wiseman told The Telegraph.

"Change in a couple's sleeping habits is the important factor."

The researchers also questioned the participants on their personality traits. Among the interesting findings gleaned from their responses was the revelation that extroverts are more likely to sleep closer to their partners, and the conclusion that creative individuals are more likely to sleep on their left side.

However, according to a study from Ryerson University in Toronto last year, between 30 and 40% of couples sleep apart at night, and experts say the separation can actually help a relationship, rather than harm it.

Colleen Carney, the author of the study, told CBC: 'People will say they sleep better [together], but when we actually monitor their brains. . . they're continuously being woken up by movement or sound. It creates a lot of problems.'

Do you sleep close to each other at night? or if you sleep apart, what is your reason for sleeping apart from your other half?

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