On which side of the bed do you sleep?

[Kukolka 8]

Even if you're currently separated from your partner because of the visa process, if you know your preferred sides, please answer the first question as if you live together.

The essay portion:

What are the reasons for your preferences?

How easy or difficult was it to agree who would sleep where?

Is one partner's preference stronger than the other's?

If you have set sides at home, might you switch sides in another place, for example a hotel, depending on the layout of the room or other factors?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Another 'option' you might want to consider adding is something my former partner and I discussed.

He was of the opinion that the man always prefers to sleep nearest the door so as to 'protect' his partner by being between her and anyone who might enter the room. I've no idea if this was just his male chivalry at work or if there is anything more extensive than that, although I do find it interesting that when my husband and I discussed 'sides of the bed' preferences, he chose the left - which coincidentally, is the side nearest the door .

[Mithra 1,185]

This is how we came up with which side my husband and I sleep on. Currently I'm on the left (left side while actually on the bed, right if I'm standing at the footboard looking at the bed) and he's on the right which is right next to the door. At our old place I also slept on the left which was closest to the door only because that was my spot before he immigrated and I got used to it. He often stole my spot because he thought he should sleep closer to the door.

Another 'option' you might want to consider adding is something my former partner and I discussed.

He was of the opinion that the man always prefers to sleep nearest the door so as to 'protect' his partner by being between her and anyone who might enter the room. I've no idea if this was just his male chivalry at work or if there is anything more extensive than that, although I do find it interesting that when my husband and I discussed 'sides of the bed' preferences, he chose the left - which coincidentally, is the side nearest the door .

Edited January 8, 2011 by Mithra

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

Another 'option' you might want to consider adding is something my former partner and I discussed.

He was of the opinion that the man always prefers to sleep nearest the door so as to 'protect' his partner by being between her and anyone who might enter the room. I've no idea if this was just his male chivalry at work or if there is anything more extensive than that, although I do find it interesting that when my husband and I discussed 'sides of the bed' preferences, he chose the left - which coincidentally, is the side nearest the door .

same way it is here, and for the same reason.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Which is the left side, and which is the right? I am away from the door, and close to the light, the clock, and the remote.

Edited January 8, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[Kukolka 8]

Another 'option' you might want to consider adding is something my former partner and I discussed.

He was of the opinion that the man always prefers to sleep nearest the door so as to 'protect' his partner by being between her and anyone who might enter the room. I've no idea if this was just his male chivalry at work or if there is anything more extensive than that, although I do find it interesting that when my husband and I discussed 'sides of the bed' preferences, he chose the left - which coincidentally, is the side nearest the door .

That's part of the reason for my preference, to feel safe (or alternatively, trapped by him ). Also, when we talked online before we met in person, both of us had our beds with the "left" side against the wall, and even though we slept alone, he slept toward the right and I slept toward the left. I somehow knew before he confirmed it that his room was set up that way. The room we're in now (in my parents' house, set up by them) happens to be set up 'correctly' for us (though there's space between my side and the wall. I preferred being right next to the wall but I'm getting used to the space to walk and may want it when we move to our own place). In hotels, we've kept our sides even if the room was arranged with the left closer to the door. The downside to our current sleeping arrangement is I like to read in bed, and the nightstand with lamp is on his side.

Other reasons I've heard are, one partner wants to be closer to the WC, or closer to the door to attend to children.

[Kukolka 8]

Which is the left side, and which is the right? I am away from the door, and close to the light, the clock, and the remote.

Haha, whichever way you'd like to answer!

I answered question 1 the way most people have answered question 2 (perspective of sitting upright in bed) even though I've always thought it the other way. You guys seem to be "right". (As opposed to "wrong", not "left".) 3/4 people in my house have just always assumed the same, that it's from the perspective of being in bed facing the foot.

I've always thought it from a decorator's perspective, viewing the room from the foot of the bed. When I first read the question from AOS interviews, I started pondering whether others thought the same. I could see the more common way of thinking of it, sort of like in a car, right and left are viewed from inside facing forward, not from in front looking at the car. So now my family is teasing me about "driving a bed"!

When they explain that it was lying on one's back though, I'm like, "well what if you sleep on your stomach?"

[cartaverde 12]

I want to sleep furthest from the door. So that leaves him closer to the door or further from the wall.

The sleeping order usually goes (from left to right) in the spot the bed is now: cat (us, f), human (us, m), human (non-us, f), cat (us, m). Cat 1 is not always sleeping on his side, but cat 2 is most of the times sleeping on the other side, so I'm comfortably sleeping in the middle.

[trillium13 84]

Another 'option' you might want to consider adding is something my former partner and I discussed.

He was of the opinion that the man always prefers to sleep nearest the door so as to 'protect' his partner by being between her and anyone who might enter the room. I've no idea if this was just his male chivalry at work or if there is anything more extensive than that, although I do find it interesting that when my husband and I discussed 'sides of the bed' preferences, he chose the left - which coincidentally, is the side nearest the door .

If this is true, it sure says a lot about the differences between my current husband and my last one.

My current husband sleeps nearer to the door.

[raymaga 25]

My husband (USC) sleeps on the left side, me on the right.... looking at the bed from the foot of the bed, looking towards the headboard.

I have ALWAYS slept on the right side of the bed, and even though it would be better now for me to sleep by the window (I'm very hot at night), it would mean I'd have to sleep on the left side of the bed, and I just can't do it!!!

[slangofoil 50]

I picture it as if you're lying in bed, not looking at the bed from the foot.

It varied a bit when we were dating and sleeping over at each other's places. Then in the first apartment we shared, the bed was crappy - one side had a dip and the other didn't. I slept on the left (the higher side) against the wall for the first 5 months and then demanded we switch for the remaining 4 months, so I got the right outside dip, and he got the left inside higher place. I was sick of sleeping on a slant, and he weighs twice what I do, so his weight balanced things out.

But now that we're permanently together, and have a decent bed, I think we've permanently settled on him taking the left, and me taking the right. That also gives him the spot closer to the door.

[TBoneTX 43,040]

Due chiefly to gravity, we sleep on the top side of the bed, si man.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Same as other people I judge as lying in bed as lying on my back in bed, makes much more sense than standing at the foot of the bed.

I sleep on the left (of the bed and the left of my husband). Various reasons for this including the "door" thing. Typically we will arrange our room so that the door thing works with our sides. I am left handed and my hubby is right. I tend to sleep on my left side when finally going to sleep so I'm able to cuddle him then roll over to sleep more comfortably. He as well prefers to fall asleep on his right side. It gives us the chance to cuddle but also sleep comfortably.

[EvilEmmy 1]

The essay portion!

What are the reasons for your preferences? When we first shared his bed on my trip we tried him being on the left side of the bed and me being on right as a sleep on my right rib but he has a habit of wiggling up to me and this eventually made me fall out of the bed several times so we decided for my safety and comfort to swap so that I sleep on the left side and he sleeps on the right as the wall prevents me from moving over to accomadate his cuddle episodes. Safety aspect was due to a bedside cabinet being right where my head could hit on falling out of the bed.

How easy or difficult was it to agree who would sleep where? Wasn't difficult I explained after two nights of being on the right side and ending up on the floor to swap he immediately said yes no issues he will now turn over and sleep on his left side for cuddles so same position for us both just swapped it for comfort!

Is one partner's preference stronger than the other's? Not at all we tried our usuall bed preference and found it to be unsuitable so we swapped.

If you have set sides at home, might you switch sides in another place, for example a hotel, depending on the layout of the room or other factors?

Yes at home when i'm in england I sleep on the right side of my bed (double bed for one person) when I visit my fiance I swap to the left side of his bed and he usually swaps for me. Unsure about hotel rooms and other places as we have yet to have a vacation together.