This is what your sleeping position says about your personality

If you're more creative you're more likely to sleep on your left hand side.

If you're more extraverted you're more likely to sleep closer to your partner, which can also mean you're more likely to have a better relationship.

A 2014 survey carried out by the University of Hertfordshire found that 12 per cent of couples spent the night less than an inch apart, and of these 86 per cent were happy with their relationship.

On the inverse, two per cent slept further than 30 inches apart. Among these couples, the amount who were happy with their relationship was only 66 per cent.

The lead author on the survey, Professor Richard Wiseman, said:

One of the most important differences involved touching, with 94 per cent of couples who spent the night in contact with one another were happy with their relationship, compared to just 68 per cent of those that didn’t touch.

Other findings in a survey from 2003 included:

• 41 per cent slept in the foetal position, which was linked to being shy and having a sensitive heart.
• 15 per cent lay on their side with their arms by their side, which was linked to being easygoing and sociable.
• 13 per cent slept on their side with arms outstretched, which was linked to being open but cynical.
• 8 per cent slept on their backs with their arms by their sides, which is linked to being quiet and reserved.
• 7 per cent slept face down, hands around the pillow, which was linked to being thin skinned and extroverted.

Professor Idzikowski told the BBC that one position was good for digestion and health:

Lying down flat means that stomach contents can more readily be worked back up into the mouth, while those who lie on their back may end up snoring and breathing less well during the night.

Both these postures may not necessarily awaken the sleeper but could cause a less refreshing night's sleep.

Critics argue that sleep position actually says there's not scientific basis to conclude anything about your personality from your sleeping position.

A 2012 article by the Huffington Post revealed that research credited as a study was actually just a survey conducted by a hotel chain.

A body language specialist, quoted as an expert giving analysis told the Huffington Post in an email that it was a pseudoscience akin to a horoscope:

Yes, it was never meant to be taken seriously and there was no research on my part.

As such your body position as you sleep probably only tells you one thing - the position you find it most comfortable to sleep in.

HT Spring

More: Here's what your sleeping position really reveals about you