# Share a bed? Which side do you sleep on? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506 "2009-11-06T01:01:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/41 "2009-11-06T16:16:09Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > I sleep on the side away from the door. He sleeps closer to the door. I have done this with two husbands, a fiancee and a long term boyfriend. It’s a protection thing for me - I want someone that will fight off the intruder before it gets to me. With that many guys, you must feel pretty safe. I sleep on the side closest to the door. I sometimes get paged during the night. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/42 "2009-11-06T16:30:28Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > With that many guys, you must feel pretty safe. Doubt it. What do you think happened to the two husbands and fiancee? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/43 "2009-11-06T16:35:23Z")
Facing the bed, standing at the foot, I’m on the left. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/44 "2009-11-06T16:47:00Z")
laying in bed - on the left, buts that’s more a function of “here’s where the alarm clock is and I will actually wake up when it goes off”. If he has to get up first, the alarm wakes me and I get to shove him. Its our “system”. I like it for the shoving of my spouse first thing in the morning. 😃 Plus, our 3 dogs all sleep in our bed, and if he stays up later than me, all of them come to bed with me, and when he comes in there’s me on the left, and 3 dogs all crowded around me. the right half of the bed is completely empty (and cold). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/45 "2009-11-06T17:03:46Z")
Currently it’s the left side of the bed, but it’s all dependent on the bed’s orientation relative to the door of the room we’re sleeping in. Viz, Mrs. Homie makes me sleep closest to the door so any intruder has to get past me first. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/46 "2009-11-06T17:19:38Z")
I noticed a year of so ago that I’d been choosing to sleep on whatever side is closest to the door. I think it’s an unconscious protection thing - I want to be between my wife and whatever intruder comes in. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/47 "2009-11-06T17:20:06Z")
I sleep on the side that’s not next to the wall. Right now, that happens to be the left side. My ex made me sleep against the wall so he’d know when I got up at night. Since I left him, I feel trapped if I’m not on the outside. Thankfully, my hubby is understanding. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/48 "2009-11-06T17:41:40Z")
I sleep on the left, up against the wall. Yes, this means that I have to climb over Oni no Husband if (when) I get up in the night. I like being sandwiched between him and the wall. It feels cozy. I also have to turn onto my left side, with my back to him and my face to the wall, in order to fall asleep. It minimizes visual and other distractions. For the record, Oni no Husband is a sprawler. I mean, if they had the sprawling olympics, he would have several gold medals. Having the wall there means that I don’t get actually pushed off the bed by his combination of widespread, flailing limbs and need to cuddle. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/49 "2009-11-06T19:08:00Z")
Either/or. When I’m sleeping with somebody, we tend to establish a pattern pretty early on, but even then it doesn’t always stay consistent. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/50 "2009-11-06T19:11:14Z")
We started out by my choosing the side close to the door. That was the right (when lying on my back). It stays that way now, because that is what feels right. I should note that my wifes half is in the middle of the bed and my half consists of 2 outside edges. This is an excellent reason to have my side of the sheets tucked tight. I prefer to look at it as she wants to be where I am. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/51 "2009-11-06T20:02:40Z")
Our room is too small to have the bed in the middle so I’ll sleep on whatever side isn’t against the wall. At this time it’s the left. I don’t have a preference as long as I don’t have to crawl over anyone when I get up. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/52 "2009-11-07T00:39:07Z")
I find it interesting that after 159 votes, 36 men sleep on the right, and 36 women sleep on the left. Such harmony! Such balance! Meanwhile, 45 men sleep on the left, but only 24 women sleep on the right! A significant shortage of right-sided sleeping women to match up with left-sided sleeping men, to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/53 "2009-11-07T00:44:05Z")
Answered other, depends on which bed, and who comes to bed last. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/54 "2009-11-07T00:55:05Z")
I sleep on the right, laying down. Since I’ve been married this has been true, but we’ve only lived in three places. The “right” has always been closest to the door. I don’t know if this means anything though. I’m not sure this was deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/55 "2009-11-07T00:57:18Z")
I voted “Other,” because my choice is away from the wall if the bed is pushed up against a wall. Our home now, that’s the right side for me. In our previous home, it was the left. ---
**Author:** ![Is\_it\_safe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@Is\_it\_safe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Is_it_safe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/56 "2009-11-07T02:01:03Z")
I sleep on the left. My wife likes to use my right shoulder as her pillow. Sometimes I wonder why we don’t just use a single bed, we only ever use a small portion of the big one ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/57 "2009-11-07T04:31:02Z")
I am in the minority here, a woman sleeping on the right. I don’t care which side I sleep on at all, but the left was already claimed when I moved in. ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/58 "2009-11-07T06:09:56Z")
> [@porcupine](#): > > I sleep on the side that’s closest to the bathroom, since invariably I will get up at least once during the night. > > I’m a chick, FWIW. Yup. This is so much me I could have written it. I said “other” in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/59 "2009-11-07T11:43:35Z")
I sleep on the right side in my current relationship, but in the last one I took the left side of the bed. I just let the other woman choose first and I take whatever’s left over, it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. My current girlfriend is left-handed, and when we shared a bed in her old place, before we moved here, she also took the left and I took the right, even though then I was closer to the bathroom and now she’s closer to it. So bathroom or door placement probably isn’t a factor. Maybe it has to do with her being left-handed and me right-handed. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506/60 "2009-11-07T11:51:42Z")
> [@dragonlady](#): > > My question would be if being right or left handed has any bearing on which side if the bed you prefer. I’m left handed and I always prefer to sleep on the left side of the bed. Most of my bed-partners have been right handed and didn’t mind the right (I didn’t ask if they had a preference) The one left handed partner I had wanted the left..which was a real shame! Oh, that could be - I’m a lefty and prefer the left side. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-a-bed-which-side-do-you-sleep-on/516506.md?page=4)