Cats love to sleep with people

I have two cats, a male and a female, who are just over a year old. We assume they are brother and sister because they were found abandoned in a cardboard box together.

I was wondering, why do they become so affectionate when I lie down? They are quite friendly cats. While they don't always like to be handled (they want to be petted about once a day), they always want to be in the same room as people and they always follow us around. But any time I lay in my bed, on the floor or fall asleep on the couch, they love to roll up next to me and start purring very loud. They become much more affectionate than they normally are.

At first, I allowed them to sleep in bed with me. But after a while, it got annoying. Sometimes their purring would wake me up and sometimes they'd get into little fights over a spot they both wanted to occupy. At first they didn't like it and they'd keep scratching at my door, but they have since stopped. However, any time I fall asleep on the couch, I'm usually woken up by one of them.

It's not really a problem but I wonder what's going through their heads? Some people have suggested that it's not really affection but really their way of asking for food. But I feed them at regular times and they know when to expect food. They know I seldom give them food outside these regular feeding times.

I don't think it has anything to do with food. I think is has to do with status. Curling up with their human is a prerogative that goes to the dominant cat(s) in the group. Maybe it also has something to do with safety and security. Plus, they just like doing it.

I don't know for sure, but it could be that they are pleased that their "world", (which you are a major part of), has become stable and they know exactly where you are going to be for a while. Or not.

Each cat had a different personality. They may like to curl up with you because they were abandoned and found together as an act of security. Some cats are more affectionate than others. Sometimes the reasons they do or do not do things is a mystery.

Could be a safety issue... animals tend to "just know" when someone has rescued them, so they trust you after you saved them from what they naturally sensed was a bad situation, therefore curling up with you probably makes them feel safe enough to completely (ok, cats never completely do this, haha) let down their guard and actually get good, restful sleep because they know you're there to protect them... especially if they were very young when they were abandonded, they didn't have their mama very long in order to bond with her, so you became the mama figure... Oliver insists on sleeping ON me whenever we sleep... granted he naps all the time by himself, but if I get into bed (he's not allowed on the couches, but if I fall asleep in the recliner where he's allowed, he'll hop up) he's in there with me... and he's always either leaning on my legs/feet or smack against my legs or tummy (I tend to sleep fetal position, so there's always a nook for him)... I personally love falling asleep to the feel of purrs - I have a hard time getting to sleep without either him or the boyfriend in bed with me... Note: the bf doesnt purr, but tends to snore, hehehe

This is something that Barkley has started doing with me more now as opposed to his nighttime antics throughout the house. He will wait until I get comfortable and then will climb into bed with me and get up under my arm and fall asleep and miraculously stay there 3/4 of the night. This is improvement in my household because generally Petunia is the one who sleeps with me on the bed but not all up on me like Barkley.

Now I wonder, does Barkley get closer to me and Petunia generally back away because I adopted him first or because she is just not the type of cat to get in your inner space. He'll get mad sometimes if he sees me petting her or showing any kind of affection towards her because he's spoiled and he wants it all