yearner

A yearner is someone who yearns—who feels a deep, persistent longing for something, whether it's a lost love, a distant home, or an unrealized dream.

The term carries a sense of wistful aching rather than active pursuit.

She was always a yearner, gazing out windows and imagining other lives.

In sleep research, yearner also refers to a sleeping position where a person lies on their side with arms stretched forward, as if reaching for something.