Sleep: What Are the Best Sleeping Positions?

  What’s the position of your body when you sleep at night? Do you sleep only on one side, are you crunched up like a fetus in a womb or do you sleep on your back, straight like a soldier?

Although it’s difficult to remember your sleeping posture, there are 2 ways to sleep: good and bad. Bad placement of your back, arms, head and legs might be the cause of your aches or your insomnia.

“It is clinically accepted that a change in sleep position may benefit the systematic health of individuals,” was written in a 2007 study published in “The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice”.

Cynthia Vaughn, professional chiropractor, explains that the best sleeping position is either on the side or on the back. It’s not important whether you sleep on your right or left side, unless you’re pregnant. These two sleeping positions support your neck and spine and can help you prevent injuries.

An Australian telephone survey shows that most people love sleeping on the side and they’re less likely to report waking up and complaining about shoulder, neck or arm pain compared with people who slept in another position.

If you sleep on your back, Vaughn suggests you to put a pillow under your knees just so your legs get in a more direct line with your lower back spine. Also, try not to sprawl your arms over your head, but rather keep them down your side. Sleeping on your back intensifies the snoring. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, avoid sleeping on your back.

If you sleep on your side, slightly bend the upside leg and put a pillow between your knees. This will prevent unnatural twisting and will keep your pelvis in a straight line. Vaughn advises you to avoid sleeping in the fetal position, especially when you are sleeping with another person in the same position, because it can irritate your skin, since your knees are constantly touching.

The worst position of all is sleeping on your stomach. When you’re sleeping with your face pressed into your pillow, you might crane your neck in order to catch a breath.

“It’s a natural tendency, too, for the person to then bend the knee and hip of the same side to which the head is turned, and bring that leg up. This causes an unnatural lateral, or outward, rotation of that leg that, overtime, leads to a chronic lateral hip rotation on that side,” explains Vaughn.

Bedding also affects your quality of sleep. “Memory foam” mattresses give you the best body support. Choose a mattress that breaks a bit so that can mold to the natural curve of your spine.

Also, don’t use pillows that are too hard because they won’t support the “C” curve of your neck. Too hard pillows can cause neck pain. To get rid of neck pain, you should choose a pillow for neck pain side sleeper that helps provide relief and offer you a great night’s sleep.

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