Study reveals the cuddle position that is most likely to end your relationship

It's an act that's hard to resist but a new study has found that it's also a sleep habit that will most likely cause your relationship to end. Photo / Getty Images

It may seem like an innocent position, but partners who like to spoon may want to reconsider the bedtime habit if they want their relationship to last.

A new study, based on more than 9000 divorced people, has revealed the way you sleep can affect the health of your marriage.

UK-based sleep site, TheDozyOwl, surveyed 4987 divorced women and 4786 divorced men to determine whether their preferred sleeping position influenced their marriage ending in divorce.

And according to the data, 86 per cent of respondents admitted to the "female spoon" being the most common sleeping position before filing for divorce.

"While initially we were surprised to find out that the 'female spoon' was the most 'divorceable' sleeping position, after reading some of the comments left by respondents we started getting an idea to why that is the case," TheDozyOwl managing director Alex Ion told news.com.au.

"In most situations, the men of the relationship were feeling smothered by their partners, who at their end were not receiving enough attention.

"This imbalance would often lead to arguments on the long run."

Mary, 52, who took part in the survey said she recently divorced from her childhood sweetheart of 10 years.

"I think maybe I mothered him too much – I reckon this position is a testament to that statement. I think he may have felt too emasculated," she explained.

Closely behind in second place as the most divorceable position is the "leg hug" at 82 per cent.

It was followed by "back to back not touching" at 78 per cent, "space hog" at 73 per cent and then "the soldiers" at 71 per cent.

"The 'back to back not touching' position was by far the most frustrating for women and from a psychological point of view it makes sense," Ion said.

"Through cuddles women receive reassurance that everything is going smoothly in the relationship, while men are not necessarily wired like that in some cases."

He explained that the lack of touching was revealed to be a big issue for many women who undertook the survey.

According to sleep specialist Dr Paula Barry of Penn Medicine, a world-renowned academic medical centre in Philadelphia, oxytocin, more commonly known as the "feel good hormone", is released when we're physically affectionate or receive affection.

Barry said this feeling creates a "connection, bond, and trust", which explains why "face-to-face cuddling" is the least divorceable sleeping position at 19 per cent.

The other acts unlikely to end in divorce are "face-to-face not touching" at 38 per cent and "back to back touching" at 26 per cent.

"Me and my partner split up a few years back now – we were together for 10. But I've never been an affectionate person – probably explains a lot," respondent Matt, 52, said.

"But this position for me is just the right amount of distance and touching," he said about the 'back to back touching' act.