Quirks

Touching your face while sleeping

by

In bed one morning — many, many years ago now — a partner asked me if I knew that I often have my hand touching some part of my face while sleeping.

I think of this often, in fact almost every time I wake up and discover I’m doing it. The two most common scenarios are: 1) one or two fingers on my cheek or 2) my thumb and forefinger like a horseshoe around my chin.

I hadn’t realized I do that, so naturally, I did some research on it. And I find one of the reasons very interesting.

The research says:

There is a recognized correlation between sleeping with your hands touching your face and the behaviors established in the womb. This sleeping position is considered a form of self-soothing that mimics the comfort, warmth, and security experienced during fetal development.

The Womb Connection (Fetal Development)
  • Early Development: Touch is the first sense to develop, with receptors forming around 8 weeks of gestation.
  • Self-Soothing Behaviors: Ultrasound scans indicate that as early as the second trimester, babies frequently touch their faces and suck their thumbs for comfort.
  • Space Limitations: In the third trimester, limited space causes many babies to rest with their arms flexed near their faces.
  • Long-term Imprint: These early movements and positions establish a “map” of the body and create a “memory” of comfort that continues after birth.
Why Adults Sleep with Hands on the Face
  • Self-Soothing and Security: This posture, sometimes called “T-Rex arms,” acts as a subconscious way to calm the nervous system.
  • Comfort: Touching the face can trigger the release of neurotransmitters that create a sense of safety, similar to being in the womb.
  • Sensory Regulation: It can be used to manage sensory input or reduce anxiety.
Types of “Womb” Sleeping Positions
  • Fetal Position: Sleeping on the side with knees drawn up often mimics the protective, warm posture of the womb.
  • “Dinosaur Hands” (T-Rex): Elbows bent with hands tucked under the chin or on the chest, often to feel secure.
  • Face Touching: Resting hands on the forehead, cheeks, or covering the mouth for comfort, often to reduce anxiety.

Making up the bed

by

We have a picture, which we’ve learned is worth a thousand words, when trying to explain to cruise cabin stewards how we want the bed made up — especially if the steward’s English is a second language.

First of all, we need 3 pillows each.

Second of all, we want only the sheet on one-half (my half, the right side of the pic) of the bed, and the sheet plus the duvet on the other half (Bob’s half, the left side of the pic) of the bed.

This is really quite easily accomplished: put a queen-size sheet on the bed, and then put a twin-size duvet on top of the sheet on the left side — but it’s been our experience that, for some reason, this is very difficult to articulate with just words, so we keep this photo on our phone during cruises.

Picture of a cruise cabin bed made up with the duvet on only one half of the bed