Happiest couples sleep incredibly close together, study finds

It may be better for your health to sleep in a separate bed than your partner—but a new study finds that the happiest couples are those who sleep close together.

Very close together, as in less than an inch apart. A survey of 1,000 people found that those who kept such close parameters had an 86% chance of reporting they were satisfied in their relationship, compared to 66% for those who slept 30 inches apart or more, the Telegraph reports.

Another predictor of relationship happiness: touch. While 94% of couples who made physical contact throughout the night reported a happy relationship, just 68% of couples who kept their distance did the same.

The survey also looked into how, exactly, the couples slept together: 42% back-to-back, 31% facing the same direction, and 4% face-to-face. The happiest positions? Well, according to the Independent, 91% of people who reported sleeping with their backs touching also reported a happy relationship, as did 91% of people who reported facing the same direction while touching (so, "spooning" would qualify).

But if you've just always needed your personal space, no worries: "The key issue," says the lead researcher, "is if you have a couple who used to sleep close together but are now drifting further apart in bed, then that could symptomatic of them growing apart when they are awake." (What does all this say about these celebrity couples who don't share a bed?)