Here's a piece I did last week for Premier Inn on sleep positions called Sleep-o-scopes, as in Horoscopes. It wasn't meant to be taken absolutely seriously but it seems to have gone round the world being picked up by all sorts of media from the Financial Times to Fox 4 News.
Sleep-o-Scopes Frank PR and Premier Inn
We all know a good night’s sleep sets you up for the following day and our sleeping positions can determine how we feel when we wake for the day ahead.
Obviously we don’t stay in one position all night, it changes many times throughout but we each have our most favoured position for the majority of time we’re asleep.
Here we look at four of the most common sleeping positions, what the body language tells us about how you’re feeling when you sleep and how that can affect the new day ahead from the moment you wake up.
Foetal Sleepers
Foetal sleeping is the most common position of all and people who sleep like this are returning to their comfort zone to de-stress themselves from the day’s activities. The higher the knees and lower the head the more internal comfort you give yourself.
Foetal sleepers are conscientious, ordered and like things in their place but they can over think things and worry unnecessarily.
People who sleep like this for the majority of the night can expect a refreshed awakening having dealt with the previous day’s issues compartmentalising and organising while they sleep, allowing them to feel refreshed when they wake and ready to move onward and upward.
Foetal sleepers should be careful not to become too stuck in their comfort zone and be prepared to take on new challenges each day.
The Log
The Log is the second most common sleep position fully extended with head, neck, arms, legs and body all stretched out in a straight line. The longer you sleep like this the more rigid your thinking, you can become inflexible making things harder for yourself
Loggers are set in their ways and can be stubborn, liking things done their way, which can make them come across as bossy or even aloof.
“Sleep like a log” is the old adage and people who sleep in this straight line can wake up stiffer than when they went to sleep. Try to relax more and let your muscles unwind from the day’s hassles and you’ll wake up feeling more flexible in your thinking.
Loggers need to stretch themselves each day to reach new goals and then your day is likely to be more exciting, challenging and fun. You’ll see and feel the benefits in your body and mind as you embrace being a more relaxed you.
The Yearner
Third most common is the Yearner with arms outstretched as though you are chasing your dreams, conversely it can mean you are being chased. You feel you want more from life and are willing to go out there and get it with both hands, ready to capture every new and exciting challenge that comes your way.
Yearners are their own worst critics always expecting great results in everything they do, which can mean giving up to quickly with things that don’t go their way right from the off.
Yearners wake up eager to face the challenges of the day, seeking out new opportunities. However, take care to make sure what you yearn for is what you really want or you’ll spend a lot of wasted time and energy chasing things that don’t really fulfil you.
Yearners should face each new day as a fresh start, reviewing where they are going and what they want from the day, then go for it and see it through with full commitment.
The Freefaller:
Freefalling is the least popular of the four sleep positions with the whole body outstretched flat on their stomach, arms at right angles, hands gripping the pillow as though holding on for dear life, physically the least comfortable position to sleep for most adults.
Freefallers tend to feel like life happens around them and they are just hanging on for the ride, which can make them feel like they’re not in control of what happens.
Freefallers can wake up feeling like they still have things leftover from the previous day, which can make them feel over anxious about getting things done today.
Freefallers need to take control of each new day and deal with things one step at a time until you are happy to move to the next step. You will then be more motivated and inspired, creating opportunities for you be the boss of your own destiny.
Here's a few links of where it's ended up in the media around the world, there are many more.