Study: Which side of the bed you sleep on says a lot about you

Chances are that you sleep on the same side of the bed each night—you may not even have noticed that you're doing it. Even if you’re sleeping on a twin, you’ll likely gravitate toward one side over the other. But what may seem like a purely coincidental habit may reveal a lot more about you than you'd think it does, according to research.

(FYI: Your side is determined from the perspective of lying in bed. A.k.a sleeping on the left side means that a potential partner or pet would sleep to your right.)

A study conducted by OnePoll for Slumber Cloud analyzed the sleeping preferences of 2,000 Americans and found that which side of the bed you sleep on is closely correlated to your personality traits. Sleep Week 2024 is all about being aware of your sleeping habits and improving them, so here’s what you need to know about what your snoozing style says about you.

If you sleep on the left side...

You're likely more left-brained, meaning you're more imaginative and creative. The results also showed that people who sleep on the left side of the bed prefer oldies music, drama flicks, and beer and often lean more left politically.

If you sleep on the right side...

Then researchers would say you're probably more right-brained, meaning you're more analytical and logical. You also may enjoy rock music, action movies, and wine and you likely fall towards the right side of the political spectrum.

Besides personality, what affects which side of the bed we choose?

If you're skeptical that your sleeping position is determined by your personality, it turns out there are other factors that can come into play.

According to the study, 40 percent of people select the side of the bed that's easiest for them to get in and out of, while 31 percent make their decision based on what their partner prefers. Another 25 percent choose the side that has the best view of the TV.

We think that factors like finding a great comforter that fits your bed can also have something to do with it.

What else did the study show about American sleep habits?

No matter whether you sleep on the left or the right, if you feel like you wake up on the wrong side of the bed every day, you aren't alone. Researchers found that the average person sleeps just six hours and 22 minutes each night. Even worse, nearly a quarter of Americans (22 percent) only get about four to five hours of shuteye.

And since science has proven again and again how harmful insufficient rest can be on your health, we're all for getting more—and better quality—sleep. There are tons of tricks out there for improving your next snooze session, from powering down devices at least an hour before bed, to completely cutting out caffeine (yeah... not going to happen), to choosing a better pillow. Keep in mind that the National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep a night for most adults.