Most people can admit their fondness for snuggling with a partner. Couple cuddles are a huge part of a relationship. But when you're in bed, how important is cuddling to you?
It's a case of another day, another survey here are eve hq. And this time, we've been exploring the vast and varied world of couple's cuddling positions.
This survey involved 2000 UK-based participants and it's mission was to identify the different preferred in bed cuddle positions favoured by those sharing a bed with a partner in the UK. Read on to find out more.
the art of couple cuddle positions
While compiling our Snuggle-Sutra, we decided that some in-depth research into the various different couple cuddle and sleep scenarios UK couples are engaging in. And so it was time for a survey! And with 2,000 UK participants ready and willing to share their insights, we knew we were going to uncover some intriguing data!
From our survey, we were able to isolate ten different Snuggle-Sutra cuddling positions. Here they are:
1. back-to-back
Sleeping back to back with your partner is by far the most popular couple cuddle position in the UK. A massive 39% of survey participants said that they regularly sleep back to back with their other half. But what’s interesting about couples who sleep back to back is that there is a clear correlation between this sleep position and feeling secure in a relationship. A massive 70% of back to back sleepers said they feel secure in their relationships.
2. spooning
Ahh, the lovers embrace. Spooning is the second most popular of all the cuddle positions in our Snuggle-Sutra with 28.5% of participants owning this loving pose as their go-to. If you are part of a spooning couple, then according to our survey you are most likely to be in a loving relationship (74%). Learn more about spooning in our dedicated blog post.
3. pet block
If your nightly couple cuddle position also involves a furry friend, your cuddling category could be described as the pet block. Basically, this is where pets position themselves in between you and your other half. 9% of survey participants selected this as their primary sleep situation. Other notable insights this survey suggested that those couples facing a nightly pet block sleeping scenario are among the biggest bookworms of all the couple cuddling positions with 27% regularly reading in bed. They also see themselves as having the most laid-back couplings with a massive 83% of them categorising their relationship as mellow!
4. selfish caterpillar
This couple cuddle position can also be described as an almost anti-cuddle positions. One person cocoons themselves in the duvet while leaving their significant other out in the cold. Out of the 2000 participants, 8% claimed this as their usual sleep scenario. A tip for anyone sleeping with a selfish caterpillar – separate duvets should solve the issue! Selfish caterpillars are also big on reading in bed (27%) and they are the most likely to describe their relationship as exciting too (39%).
5. face-to-face
Sleeping nose to nose with your significant other is a cute couples cuddling position. Imagine drifting off to sleep as you stare into each others eyes lovingly... nawwww. Well, 13% of participants said that their go-to position for sharing a bed was face-to-face. And of that 13%, 52% would describe their relationships are passionate. What's more, a massive 72% of nose-to-nose sleepers said that they share the same taste in films and books as their partner.
6. bear huggers
Bear hugging couples appear to be the most passionate ones of all. The results indicate that bear huggers have heightened intimacy with their partner (12 times a month on average), and 52% of bear huggers would describe themselves as good in bed. Whether or not their partners would describe them the same way, we can’t attest to. Another interesting stat is that 18% of bear hugging couples also feel that they are the life and soul of the party. Of all survey participants, bear huggers make up just over 11% (11.4% for those that like the deets granular).
7. starfish
Do you or your partner dominate the space in the starfish position that’s quite regularly associated with kids? Perhaps you both enjoy this type of bed couple positions? Starfish sleepers make up 8% of our survey participants. If this is your regular coupling sleep position? And if so, do you agree with the 25% of survey starfish respondents who described their relationship as fiery. Also (just another interesting tidbit), our survey revealed that 9% of starfish sleepers are vegan.
8. cliffhangers
Are you the other half of a starfish couple? Constantly clinging to the edge of your mattress while your other half dominates the space? If this sounds familiar, do you also describe your relationship as fun? 46% of cliffhanger cuddlers do. But, 30% of cliffhanger sleepers also claim that they struggle to sleep every night. On the plus side, you are more likely to spend time with your mates with cliffhangers enjoying an average of five dinner parties with friends every month. Cliffhangers make up exactly the same percentage of participants as starfish too with 8% of all participants (or 162 people) claiming this are their nightly sleeping situ. So it tallies well that starfish and cliffhangers could be part of pair of shared couple cuddling positions in bed.
9. loners
Lone sleepers are two people sharing a bed without contact. Our survey suggested that 47% of loners (or non-cuddlers) actually love being in a relationship. But more than half (51%) confess that they don’t share the same cultural tastes as their partner. Of the 2000 people we surveyed, 24% selected the loner cuddle position as their standard go-to.
10. couples who top and tail
Yes, there are couples that choose to sleep in this couple snuggle position on a regular basis. In fact, top and tailers make up 4% of our total survey participants so it's more popular than you might think! Top and tailing couples appear to be the ones who go on the most date nights (eight per month on average). But of those who top and tail, 61% feel that either they or their partner are not trustworthy!
wait, what about the other 5% of participants?
And for those beady-eyed readers thinking those percentages just don’t add up to a whole, you’d be right! Just over 5% (5.4% if we’re being pernickety) of participants selected “other – please specify” during our survey when asked about their preferred couple sleep position. Of those who selected this option, 95% said that they and their partner have separate beds and the rest attested to regularly switching between any and all of the above! If that doesn’t back up the theory that every couple has their own sleep quirks, we’re not sure what will.
unveiling the snuggle-sutra: our visual guide to the different types of cuddling
the snuggle-sutra: our conclusion
Whichever of these cuddling positions most resonates with your current Snuggle-Sutra couple snuggle time preferences, we hope you've found these weird and wonderful findings engaging.
Here's a few more to conclude this fun exploration into the world of couples sleep habits.
It should come as no surprise that the biggest animal lovers are pet blockers, with 41% admitting they prefer animals to humans. But you’re actually more likely to be vegan if you and your other half tend to top and tail (10%) or you enjoy sleeping in a starfish pose (9%).
Meanwhile those who sleep in the cliffhanger hug position insist their relationship is the most fun (46%), and 39% of selfish caterpillars confess that their partnership is excitement-packed.
And if you're a foodie, find yourself a spooner! 44% of spoon cuddle sleepers describe themselves as incredible chefs.
Also, if you’re having problems getting your regular 7-9 hours, you may like to know that couples who sleep in close proximity seem to get the most sleep. Both bear huggers and couples cuddling in a nose-to-nose position manage to regularly bank at least seven hours a night.
Another notable stat is that almost a fifth of loners (19%) say that falling asleep usually comes easy.
Maybe unsurprisingly, three in ten cliffhangers confess that they struggle to get to sleep every single night. Pet blockers are amongst those couples who find it tricky to fall asleep on average at least four times a week.
Finally, the biggest nature enthusiasts appear to sit with spooning couples. Spooners suggest that they enjoy exploring the great outdoors together on average at least seven times a month.
Whichever of these list of best snuggle positions is your nightly situation, we hope this has been an insightful read. Do these survey results on bed cuddle positions resonate with you? Or do you disagree entirely? Whatever your stance, we hope we've provided some great food for thought. Sleep easier with the supportive comfort of an eve mattress.