# How do you sleep?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 14, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006 "2007-12-14T17:00:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/1 "2007-12-14T17:00:29Z")
I talking position, not technique.
I have a heavy preference for sleeping on my left side. For some reason, especially right after lights are out and I’m drifting off, it is the most comfortable for me – not even the left side will do. I change occasionally during the night but wind up right back at my good ol’ left side. I’d estimate I spend about 80% of the night there, 15% on my right side, and 5% on my back, with not at all on my front.
**DesertWife** , on the other hand would happily spend the entire night on her front. This would lead once in a while to some interesting techniques for waking her up in the morning, but I digress.
So, how about it Dopers? How do you lie when you’re in the arms of Morpheus?
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### Author:  [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/2 "2007-12-14T17:37:04Z")
I have a heavy preference for my left side. But during the night, I’ll go from left to back to right and back again.
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### Author:  [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/3 "2007-12-14T17:40:22Z")
Flipping around a lot. Lately, my back is not allowing me to sleep on my stomach, and I have nightmares about being totally paralyzed if I turn that way.
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### Author:  [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/4 "2007-12-14T17:56:21Z")
I sleep on my side. Used to sleep on both sides evenly but my right shoulder has been hurting so I’ve attempted to stop sleeping on that side. I put a big body pillow in my bed so I can’t roll over completely and sometimes I even wakeup on my back. (In the past, I’ve tried to switch to sleeping on my back but have been unable to fall asleep in that position.)
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### Author:  [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/5 "2007-12-14T18:06:59Z")
Mostly supine, but I’ll switch to either side. Back is rarely comfortable for long unless I’m lying on the floor for some reason.
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### Author:  [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/6 "2007-12-14T18:12:01Z")
Variously on my left or right side, or in a sort of hybrid position, halfway between being on my side and on my stomach. I really like to have something clutched against my chest when I go to sleep–usually a pillow these days, but I’m not so proud that it can’t, on occasion, be a stuffed animal. Mostly I use the pillow because stuffed animals tend to get pretty ratty after a while; pillowcases are much easier washed.
I almost -never- sleep on my back. I can think of one time I was able to go to sleep in that position, and it took almost meditative focus. It’s just not comfortable for very long, for some reason, and I don’t know what to do with my arms–the time I went to sleep that way, I did it with my arms crossed on my chest, mummy-style. I can’t even imagine sleeping directly on my front–my neck would get craned and/or I’d suffocate in the pillow/bed.
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/7 "2007-12-14T18:29:00Z")
“On top of a pile of money with many beautiful ladies.”
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### Author:  [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/8 "2007-12-14T18:29:59Z")
Butt-naked.
On my right side mostly.
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/9 "2007-12-14T18:38:35Z")
Hanging upside down on a closet. Nanoo nanoo.
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/10 "2007-12-14T19:00:49Z")
On my side, with my face towards the wall. Can be left or right, but must be wall-wards. This applies sleeping alone as well as with company. The other person can be on either side of me, but I must be facing the wall to get to sleep. It’s weird.
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### Author:  [@BrknButterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrknButterfly)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/11 "2007-12-14T19:30:36Z")
I always sleep on my stomach.
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### Author:  [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/12 "2007-12-14T19:41:07Z")
On my left and allus with my eyes closed
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/13 "2007-12-14T19:54:27Z")
Left side, right side, stomach. Sometimes back but mostly only when I fall asleep on the couch watching TV. Mostly left side though. Covers tucked between my knees, and up to my neck or sometimes covering my head.
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/14 "2007-12-14T21:06:48Z")
I always start on my left side, but always wake up on my right side. Usually with a dog right by my face telling me it’s time for breakfast.
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### Author:  [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/15 "2007-12-14T21:08:44Z")
Contorted around the cats that always get into bed before I do.
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### Author:  [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/16 "2007-12-14T21:09:48Z")
On my back with my arms crossed like an egyptian mummy.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/17 "2007-12-14T21:11:57Z")
Semi-fetal on my right side, but I often start out on my stomach and shift around until I doze off. I cannot fall asleep on my back unless I’m napping on the couch, in which case that’s the only way I can sleep.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/18 "2007-12-14T22:32:00Z")
I sleep on both sides. I tend to get stiff on one side, so I shift to the other.
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### Author:  [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/19 "2007-12-14T22:43:03Z")
[QUOTE=tdn]
I cannot fall asleep on my back unless I’m napping on the couch, in which case that’s the only way I can sleep.
[/QUOTE]
Me too, exactly. How odd.
The handful of times I’ve fallen asleep on my back in bed are due to indigestion and/or an upset stomach. For some reason that position is “gentler” on my stomach than my usual position, which is curled up on my right side.
I used to go to sleep on my stomach every night, but as I get older my arms get numb and/or tingly if I do that, and my back hurts. The only time I’ll sleep in that position is if I can’t seem to sleep at all. It’s my “easy way out” of occasional mild insomnia.
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-sleep/430006/20 "2007-12-15T01:10:00Z")
I sleep almost the whole time on my left side. If I try it on the right side, one of my hands gets numb and cold.
I get sore sleeping on my back, and sleeping on the stomach would hurt my neck.
I like it very dark and quiet.
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