Your body repairs and restores itself during sleep. Your sleep position will affect how well your back and spine curve. People often wake up feeling numb or irritated. This can sometimes be due to their sleep position.
A third of our lives are spent asleep, or resting. It is important to choose a position that supports your body’s physical recovery. An ideal position for sleeping can reduce stress on the spine. A poor position can cause pain, stiffness, and even disability in your arms, back, and shoulders, which may lead to poor quality sleep.
A healthy spine aligned from your hips to your head is the best position for sleeping. It all depends on what your health is and what you like.
However, some positions are healthier than others. Particularly, sleeping on your stomach or side is more beneficial than on your back. It’s easier to support your spine in either of these sleeping positions. This relieves pressure on your spinal tissues and allows your muscles to relax.
If you feel comfortable sleeping on your stomach, don’t be afraid to switch. The right mattress and pillow can reduce your pain and improve your spinal alignment.
If you have back pain, are pregnant, have allergies, asthma, acid reflux, or any other health issue, you may find that different sleep positions offer different benefits. To allow for more restful sleep, you might consider changing your sleeping position. A group of adults suffering from back pain was trained to either sleep on their side or their back in a study. In just four weeks, they experienced significant pain relief.
It takes time to adjust to a new sleeping position, but it is possible. Use pillows to train your body into a new position.
Over 60% of people sleep on one side. Men spend more time on their sides than women. While we used to split our nights as children by sleeping in different positions, adults tend to prefer side sleeping. As we age, our spine flexibility decreases which can make side sleeping more comfortable for older adults.
There are many benefits to sleeping on your side. Side sleeping promotes healthy spine alignment and is the best position to sleep with pillows. Side sleeping may also reduce heartburn or snoring making it an ideal sleeping position for those with sleep apnea and acid reflux.
Experts recommend pregnant women sleep on their sides with their knees bent. Side sleeping positions relieve the pressure from a growing belly and allow blood to flow freely throughout the body. The left side of the body is preferred because it reduces pressure on the liver, and facilitates healthy blood flow to the kidneys, heart, and uterus.
You can change sides if you experience discomfort while sleeping on your left side during pregnancy. This will relieve pressure on the left hip. Pillows can be placed under the stomach, between the legs, and at the bottom of the back to relieve tension.
For lower back pain, it is best to sleep on your side with a blanket or pillow between your knees. For those suffering from neck or back pain, side sleeping may be an option.
A pillow’s loft (or thickness) should be equal to the distance between your neck & your shoulder. A thicker pillow will ensure that your neck aligns with your spine when you lie on your side. This will prevent pain and soreness, as well as maintain good alignment.
Side sleeping is not recommended if you have shoulder pain or are worried about wrinkles. Side sleeping can cause soreness and tightness in the shoulders, so you should change positions from time to time and choose the best pillow and mattress. Make sure your mattress is flexible enough to allow your shoulders and hips to sink deeper than your middle spine. Side sleeping can cause facial wrinkles because your face is pressed against the pillow, compressing and stretching the skin.
If you are a side sleeper already and wish to achieve that star status, choose to sleep on your left side instead of your right. Experts recommend that you sleep on your left side for pregnant women, people with acid reflux (GERD), and those who have a gastroesophageal or gastroesophageal disease (GERD). Heartburn symptoms can be exacerbated by sleeping on the right.
A less symmetrical sleeping position can increase the risk of experiencing pain symptoms when you wake up. Use pillows to create a side sleeping position that aligns your spine between your hips and your head. To keep your spine in place, place pillows on each side of your body. A small pillow can be placed between the knees for support.
The second most popular sleeping position is lying on your back. It has many benefits that rival the side sleeping position. It’s easier to align your spine and evenly distribute your weight. This helps to prevent any possible aches in your neck or back. As long as your back is straight, you can relieve congestion and allergies.
The back sleeping position is good for your skin. Because you are facing up, your pillow and mattress will not press against your face, causing wrinkles. Sleeping on your back is best for:
For neck pain, lying on your back is the best position to sleep. This prevents misalignment from occurring in your stomach or side positions. A pillow that supports your neck and allows your head to sink deeper is a good choice. You can choose from memory foam pillows and pillows with a divot at the top. Alternately you could roll a towel under your neck and use an even flatter pillow for the head.
Try to sleep on your back with your arms straight up. If you have your arms in a similar position to your back, it is better to rest them on your sides than one on your forehead. This can cause uneven spine which can lead to neck or shoulder pain.
Pillows can be used to support your upper back and keep you upright if you have allergies or a stuffy nasal passage. This can help your nasal passages stay open, and drain the congestion. Avoid lying on your back as this can increase nasal congestion10.
It is not recommended to sleep on your back if you have the following:
Because it can lead to airway collapse, back sleeping is the most dangerous sleeping position for those with sleep apnea and snoring. About half of all people suffer from a position-dependent sleep disorder. This means that their severity increases when they lie down on their backs.
Some people find relief from their back sleeping position. Others feel it causes back pain. A small gap between your lower back and the mattress surface can develop depending on how firm your mattress is. This can cause discomfort in your lower back. This can be fixed by either placing a thin pillow on the area or placing a pillow underneath your knees. You can relieve pressure and support the natural curve of your spine by either placing a pillow under your knees or a thin pillow in that area. You can switch between side and back sleeping during the night.
Pregnant women should not sleep on their backs. This is because the growing baby can put pressure on the heart, making it more difficult for blood flow. Although there is some theory that stillbirths can be increased by sleeping on the back in the third trimester, no evidence has been found.
Acid reflux patients or those with GERD should avoid sleeping on their backs. GERD episodes can be more common in this position and can begin as soon as one minute after you switch to lying on your back.
As we age and become heavier it becomes more difficult to breathe when lying on our backs due to gravity. For older and heavier people, switching to a side sleeping position may be a better choice.
The stomach is the least preferred position for sleeping. Research shows that we sleep less than 10% of the night in this position. However, stomach sleeping has some advantages. Stomach sleeping can reduce snoring by opening your airway. To breathe in this position, however, your ribs must work against gravity. This can make it more difficult to sleep well and cause you to use more energy.
There are many drawbacks to sleeping on your stomach and it is not recommended by most people. These people should not sleep on their stomachs.
The stomach position offers the most back support and can sometimes cause pain when waking up. To sleep on your stomach, your head must be facing the other side. This will cause you to twist your neck and put your head out of alignment with your spine. Your stomach and hips can sink into your mattress, causing discomfort for your spine. Asymmetrical sleeping positions can have a negative impact on your spine. Facial wrinkles can also be caused by sleeping on your stomach. This is because your face is pressed against the pillow or the mattress.
It’s easy to have stomach pains from a bad mattress and pillow. It is possible to sleep comfortably in this position. You can also sleep on your stomach if you prefer. You can avoid tilting your neck up and creating more spinal misalignment. To further align your spine and relieve pressure, place a thin pillow underneath your hips.
Firm mattresses can prevent spinal alignment problems caused by sleeping on your stomach. Firm mattresses are less likely to cause spinal alignment problems by allowing you to sink into the mattress.
You should choose the position that allows you to have a restful, uninterrupted night and wake up feeling refreshed and rested without any pain or aches. Don’t feel pressured to change your current sleeping position if that is what you are experiencing. You can always try a different position if you feel that it might be more comfortable. Use the strategies listed to help you adjust to your new position.
How you sleep is a key factor in how good your sleep quality is. You can improve your sleep quality by changing your sleeping position easily.