When it comes to cuddling positions, spooning is one of the most well-known. Many people choose this position because it allows them to be closer to their partner, but they are unaware of how it can strengthen their relationship provide health benefits.
Let’s take a closer look at what spooning is and what benefits it can offer you and your partner.
What is Spooning?
Spooning is a position often used for cuddling where two people, usually a couple, lie on the same side so that they face the same direction. Each individual is given a term when spooning, with the “little spoon” in front and the “big spoon” behind them, with their chest to the little spoon’s back. When in this position, the big spoon often wraps their top arm around the little spoon.
This cuddling position gets its name because it resembles how spoons look when stacked, with their curves fitting together.
Many people assume that the taller partner must be the big spoon and the smaller partner the little spoon, but that is not the case. The big spoon is simply whoever is embracing the other from behind, and the little spoon is the partner being embraced. This means that either partner, no matter their size or gender, can be the little or big spoon at any time.
This also means that whoever the big spoon or little spoon is can be switched up. It’s common to take on the same position, but sometimes switching things up allows roles within the relationship to change, even if just for a moment. For example, the person who is the big spoon can take a turn as the little spoon, allowing them to feel supported and vulnerable.
Variations on Spooning
While the traditional spooning position has both partners on the same side, one directly behind the other, there are some variations.
One variation is with one partner lying on their back and the other lying across their chest, spooning them in a different way.
Spooning can also occur with both partners facing each other, but the big spoon’s arms are wrapped around the little spoon.
As long as one person is held by the other, it is some variation of spooning. Sometimes one position is more comfortable than another, so experiment until you find a cuddling position that works best for your relationship.
Benefits of Spooning
Spooning offers many benefits for an individual’s health and their relationship with their partner.
Spooning Benefits for Relationships
One of the greatest benefits of spooning for a relationship is that it creates an environment that supports closeness between partners. When in the spooning position, both emotional and sexual intimacy is enhanced, allowing the relationship to grow in both avenues and creating a stronger connection between partners.
Spooning also fosters feelings of vulnerability and safety. For those who are the little spoon, having their partner pressed against their back and holding them helps with a sense of support. Additionally, whoever is the big spoon often feels protective over their partner, and when combined, both partners can feel important in the other’s life.
Spooning Benefits for Emotional Health
Beyond helping a relationship, spooning also benefits your emotional health by releasing feel-good hormones in the brain, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. In fact, the release of dopamine and serotonin, which comes from being in a close embrace with someone, is actually what increases feelings of closeness.
With all these feel-good hormones traveling through your body, it’s impossible for your mental health not to see a dramatic increase as your mood lifts and you feel happier, safer, and desired.
Spooning Benefits for Physical Health
Many people are already aware of the benefits of spooning for a relationship or maybe even emotional health, but many are shocked to learn that spooning can also help your physical health.
As we already know, spooning helps to increase the hormone oxytocin, and in addition to making you feel more content, oxytocin also boosts your T-regulatory cells. These cells are a crucial element of your immune system, which then helps to protect your body from infection.
The impact of oxytocin on the body does not end there, either. Research shows that the boost from T-regulatory cells seen from oxytocin also helps reduce pain and stress because of their anti-inflammatory actions. So, when you’re feeling stressed, there’s scientific evidence for the ability of your partner’s cuddles to help you feel calmer.
For those who struggle to fall asleep at night, spooning may also help. Again, this is due to the release of oxytocin, which research suggests can help remedy sleep problems, especially conditions such as sleep apnea. Scientists aren’t quite sure why these results occur, but you can still benefit from them, nonetheless.
Spooning also physically relaxes you, helping to calm your nervous system and reduce blood pressure.
Key Takeaways
When it comes to cuddling positions, one of the most well-known is spooning. Whether you take on the traditional roles with the taller partner as the big spoon and the smaller partner as the little spoon or decide to switch things up, spooning offers many benefits.
For the relationship, spooning increases intimacy and fosters feelings of vulnerability and support. Spooning also offers physical benefits such as feel-good hormone release, boosted immune system, relaxation, and assistance in falling asleep, in addition to a boost to your emotional health.
So, the next time you’re sharing a bed with your partner, try spooning or some variation of this cuddling pose to become closer to each other and reap the physical benefits.
