The Position You Lay To Sleep May Be Your Only Challenge => Awareness Is Freedom.
The best sleeping position is one that ultimately promotes healthier spinal alignment, ranging from the head down to the hips. A proper and healthier sleeping position actually does a lot in relieving stress on your spine and all other joints, while an unhealthy sleeping position can induce or increase pain or stiffness in the neck, arms, back, shoulders or other joints when you wake up.
As sleeping 7-8 hours daily is highly recommended for all adults, whilst your body works to heal, repair and restore during this restful periods; the position you lay sleeping/resting either helps or hinders you to easily achieve these beautiful purposes at its peak, depending on how effectively your position supports the fundamental arch of your spine Or your current health condition.
Researchers suggested that our sleeping position is one of the major reasons why it’s most common for people to wake up with brand new or increased aches and pains in the morning.
7-8 hours period of sleeping every day means we be spending almost 1/3 of our lives sleeping or resting, so it’s very important to choose the sleeping position that can aid boost that physical recovery.
Now how do you figure out which sleeping position is best for you?
As there’s no one-size-fits-all approach in this regard, you would only needs to experiment with few positions to figure out the one that’s more comfortable,leaving you feel well-rested (refreshed and restored of previous day’s stress) when you wake up.
What Is the Best Sleeping Position?
Your sleeping position really plays a crucial role in your sleep quality, so try to adapt to a healthier sleeping position. It’s very important to consider your personal health situation and what you finds more comfortable for yourself.
Some sleeping positions are considered better or healthier than others:
- Sleeping on the side, Left Or Right
- Sleeping/Flat on your back
- Sleeping on your stomach
Sleeping on the side is recommended by experts for more quality sleep, then sleeping on the back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach; hence it’s easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, relieving pressure on the spinal tissues as well as enabling your muscles to relax and recover.
Different sleeping positions have different attributes or results. If you’re experiencing pain or facing other health conditions, you might need to adjust or automatically switch to a different sleeping position in order to help manage it. And, while it’s not something you can do just in one night, changing your default sleeping position can definitely be worth trying out.
Taking the time to gradually train yourself to sleep in a new position could be the secret to improving your sleep quality. However, if you aren’t comfortable with it, no need to force yourself; you can as well try modifying your favorite sleeping position to be sure you’re getting the best of the intended results. (Heal, repair and restore).
Adjusting to a new sleep position takes time, but it is possible. Be patient with yourself and use pillows to help train your body to the new position. However, if sleeping on your stomach feels good to you, don’t feel forced to change it. You can minimize your risk of pain and improve spinal alignment with the right mattress and pillow.
Sleeping on Your Side
It’s said that more than 60% of adults prefer sleeping on their sides. Actually the flexibility of the spine decreases as people age, which may make the side sleeping position more comfortable for adults. Children normally rationalize their nights by sleeping in all positions.
Sleeping on your side offers several benefits. It promotes healthy spinal alignment and it’s the sleeping position least likely to result in back pain, especially when supported with pillows. Side sleeping also may reduce heartburn and snoring, making it a better sleeping position for people with sleep apnea or acid reflux.
Side sleeping may be particularly beneficial for:
- Pregnant women
- People with acid reflux
- People with back pain
- People who snore or have sleep apnea
- Older people
The fetal position involves sleeping on your side with bent legs curled in toward your body. It’s the most popular sleeping position, and for good reasons; Not only is it great for lower back pain or pregnancy, but sleeping in the fetal position can also help reduce snoring.
Sleeping/Flat on Your Back
Sleeping on your back is the second most popular sleeping position, with a lot of benefits to compare the side sleeping position, hence it’s easy for you to better keep your spine in a proper alignment, also you evenly distribute your body weight relieving your neck or back of any potential aches.
Lying on the back is said to be the best sleeping position for neck pain, as it totally prevents misalignment unlike the side or stomach positions. It also helps relieve the congestion of a suffocating nose or allergies especially if you prop yourself up in an upright position with the help of pillows.
Your skin also benefits from sleeping on the back position, since you’d be facing upwards, there would be no pillow or mattress pressing directly against your face which may contribute to wrinkles.
Back sleeping may be particularly beneficial for:
- People with lumbar spinal pain
- People worried about wrinkles
- People with neck pain
- People with nasal congestion
When sleeping on your back, aim to keep your arms in similar positions. For example, having them both lie by your sides is preferable to having one rested on your forehead, as that causes unevenness in the spine which my in turn contribute to shoulder or neck pain.
On the flip side, sleeping on your back can be difficult for those who experience snoring or sleep apnea. It can also be difficult for anyone with back pain, which is why it’s important to make sure you’re properly supported.
Also, while some people feel relief from the back sleeping position, others find it increases their back pain. Depending on the firmness of your mattress, a small gap can form between your lower back and the mattress surface, which can lead to uncomfortable tension in the lower back. You can resolve this by placing a thin pillow in that area, or placing a pillow under your knees instead. Either way, you’ll relieve pressure while supporting the natural curvature of your spine. You can also switch between back and side sleeping throughout the night.
The back sleeping position is not recommended for pregnant women because a growing baby can add pressure on the heart and make it difficult for blood to flow easily.
Finally, as we grow older or heavier, it becomes harder to breathe while lying on our backs, due to the pressure of gravity on the body. Switching to a side sleeping position can be a better option for heavier and older individuals.
Sleeping on Your Stomach
The stomach sleeping position provides the least back support of all sleeping positions thereby increasing pressure on the spine. And you must sleep with your head facing one side which invariably twists your neck and head out of alignment with the rest of your spine; sometimes causing you pain upon waking up.
Without the right pillow and mattress, it’s very easy for the stomach sleeping position to cause aches and pains. Also sleeping on the stomach can contribute to facial wrinkles, since your face would be pressed against the pillow or the surface of the mattress.
However, a firm mattress can help prevent some of the spinal alignment issues resulting from sleeping on your stomach, hence if your mattress is firm, you’re unlikely to sink deep into the mattress surface and stretch your spine out of alignment.
The stomach sleeping position comes with several drawbacks and is not recommended for most people. In particular, the following people should avoid sleeping on their stomachs:
- Pregnant women
- People with neck or back pain
- People worried about wrinkles
However, it is possible to sleep well in this position. If you enjoy sleeping on your stomach, try doing so with a very thin pillow, or no pillow at all. This way, you can avoid tilting your neck back and up, creating further spinal misalignment and discomfort. Place a thin pillow under your hips to further even out the spine and relieve pressure.
The best sleep position for you is whichever sleep position that enables you to enjoy a restful night of uninterrupted sleep and you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, without any aches and pains. If that describes your current sleep position, don’t feel forced to change it. If you think a new position might make more quality sleep, then go ahead and try other position[s]. Be patient and use the strategies highlighted above to help yourself adjust to the new position.
Summary
Your sleeping position plays a pivotal role in the quality of your sleep/rest. Adjusting to a proper sleeping position is just one of many strategies to boost your sleep quality and overall health.
Different sleep positions provide different benefits that may be helpful for you if you’re dealing with back pain, pregnancy, allergies, acid reflux, or another health condition. In these cases, it may be worth trying a new sleep position to enable more restful sleep.
References
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
