According to a new study, this is the best position to fall asleep – but it’s not what you’d expect

7 February 2019, 16:26

By Alice Dear

Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or sleeping deeply? It might be time to change up your sleep routine.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that sleep is essential for humans, we need to sleep in order to recharge and perform well on a daily basis.

But whether it’s on your front, spooning your partner or curled up in a ball listening to the sounds of the rain forest, everyone has their own way of making sure they get a good night sleep.

However, a new study has found the best position to fall asleep in is in fact rocking.

Yes, you read that right. Rocking. Just like a baby drifts off to a rocking motion, adults appear to have a similar response.

A study by Current Biology at the University of Geneva found that rocking helps people fall asleep quicker, helps people fall into a deeper sleep and helps people sleep for a longer period of time.

The study saw 18 adults – 10 women and eight men – monitored as they spent three nights in a sleep lab in a specially created rocking bed.

Results from the study found that – through electrodes recorded in brainwaves – the subjects fell into deeper sleep when in the rocking bed compared to a stationary bed.

The results also showed the subjects slept deeper and woke up fewer times in the rocking bed.

The bad news about the study is that there currently isn’t a rocking bed for adults on the market.

However, lead study author Laurence Bayer said: "A hammock would probably not be as efficient, although people often report a sense of relaxation when rocked in a hammock.”

He also added: “In our paper we test the effect of rocking on one night, but we have no idea if the effects will still be there over a long-term period."