Have you ever thought about why you may be drawn to one side of the bed rather than the other? While most of us probably climb into bed night after night without giving it a second thought, some folks on TikTok feel that it actually comes down to more than just preference.
In a 2024 to 2024 online survey issued by Saatva Mattress, responses showed that 40% of adults in the U.S. have always slept on the same side of the bed (via PR Newswire). While approximately 50% of participants said that they had initially picked their side without any conscious thought behind the decision, 30% of respondents said they would rethink their decision today.
Ultimately, the survey findings revealed that America’s preferred side of the bed to sleep on is the right side. But is there any concrete science to suggest what this might say about these individuals’ personalities? Perhaps so. Psychologist Hope Bastine told Cosmopolitan that people who opt to sleep on the left side of the bed tend to have a sunnier disposition than those who inhabit the right side of the bed. Instead, right-side sleepers lean more towards groundedness and often pre-plan for potential disasters.
People who sleep on the right side of the bed may be more grounded rather than positive
This theory of right-side sleepers potentially having a less bubbly attitude than left-side sleepers was further reinforced by psychologist and leading hypnotherapist Aaron Surtees. “There is research to suggest that it is more than just a habit and people who sleep on the left side wake up in a more positive mood, calmer and feel more confident in general than people who choose to sleep on the right side,” Surtees told Yahoo!Life. “People who sleep on the right, on the other hand, are believed to be grumpier and have a less positive outlook on the world.”
However, there are a number of outside factors that experts say could influence why a person might gravitate towards the right side of the bed over the left. For example, if the bed was situated in a way where the right side was closer to a wall, a person who experiences anxiety might feel more safe and secure sleeping on the right side of the bed, licensed counselor Alexandra Cromer told Sleepopolis. Conversely, if the right side of the bed was positioned closest to the bedroom door, Cromer explained that a person who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might prefer sleeping on that side of the bed to have closer access to an exit rather than feeling confined against a wall.
Is there truly a right side of the bed?
Of course, the decision to sleep on the right side of the bed instead of the left side may simply come down to logistics rather than personality. Perhaps the right side of the bed is closer to an electrical outlet, the television, or the bathroom. Even more, maybe the right side of the bed is further away from the sounds, cold air, or sunlight streaming in through your bedroom window, all of which can impact our quality of sleep.
Knowing this, there truly is no “right” side of the bed to sleep on because there is no wrong choice. Which side you prefer will ultimately be informed by a number of different factors, including (but not limited to) the layout of the room, mental and emotional considerations, if a person has certain health conditions, or if one sleeps alone or with a partner. At the end of the day, personality may only play a small part in which side of the bed we favor.
