(Credit: fizkes/Shutterstock)
LONDON — Do you sleep on your back or on your side? If you’re looking for a bigger paycheck in 2025, a new survey has some surprising advice: sleep on your stomach with your arms raised above you!
As online searches for the “best position to sleep in” have skyrocketed by 250% in just the past month, researchers have found a connection between your nightly sleeping habits and professional career advancement. The survey commissioned by Bed Slats, involving 5,438 working professionals, has revealed that your sleeping position could be more than just a matter of comfort – it might be a predictor of your financial potential.
The Sleep Positions of Success
While many people curl up in the fetal position – with 29% of all respondents preferring this cozy stance – top earners tend to take a much different approach to bedtime. Surprisingly, several of the most successful professionals in the poll opt for the “freefall” approach, sleeping on their stomach with their arms up high — like they just jumped out of a plane!
“High earners are natural risk-takers,” says Inbaal Honigman, a celebrity psychic and body language expert, in a statement to StudyFinds. “They leap first and ask questions later.”
Meanwhile, 24% of all respondents go with the pillow hugger position, followed by the freefall position (14%), the thinker position (13%), and the solider position, where you lay on your back with your arms at your sides (10%).
“The most common sleep positions are both quite protective – the introverted fetal position, where people curl up to shield themselves, and the cuddly pillow hugger position where sleepers wrap themselves around their pillow (or partner) for comfort and security,” Honigman continues.
While there may be great comfort in sleeping like a baby, the research shows that nearly a third of the adventurous freefall sleepers are ending 2024 in the top 10% of earners.
Which sleeping position is likely to make you more successful?
| Rank | Sleeping position | % of respondents in the top 10% income bracket |
| 1 | Freefall | 29% |
| 2 | Soldier | 23% |
| 3 | Fetal | 21% |
| 4 | Pillow Hugger | 13% |
| 5 | The Thinker | 9% |
| 6 | The Starfish | 2% |
| 7 | The Stargazer | 2% |
| 8 | The Log | 1% |
More Than Just Sleeping – It’s a Lifestyle
The study uncovered more than just sleeping positions. Top earners also sleep an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes (22 minutes more than lower earners). Additionally, they wake up at 6:42 am, compared to the average worker’s 7:06 am.
“The sleep habits of high earners show they’re far more exposed and unprotected,” Honigman explains. “While most people tend to be cautious, top earners are made up of more fearless individuals.”
Whether you’re a freefall risk-taker or a cautious pillow hugger, this study suggests that your sleeping position might be more than just a personal preference – it could be a window into your professional potential. So, tonight, when you slide into bed, ask yourself: Are you sleeping like a future high earner?
Survey methodology
Bed Slats surveyed 5,438 working professionals, collecting data on their salaries, preferred sleeping positions, average sleep duration, and weekday wake-up times.
To analyze the relationship between sleep habits and earnings, respondents were classified according to Gov.uk’s definition of high earners. The data was split into the top 10% of earners (higher earners) and everyone else to determine whether sleep patterns influence productivity and income levels.
