The best position to avoid back pain is lying flat on your back. Even so, many people find it the hardest way to enjoy deep sleep. For optimal spine alignment, place one pillow underneath your head or neck and another underneath your knees.
Having said that, there are some positions that are considered healthier than others. Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach.
Sleeping on your back can promote spinal alignment, as long as your mattress and pillow are supportive. If you struggle with heartburn or acid reflux, sleeping on your back with your head elevated can reduce symptoms. View Source . Sleeping on your back has not been shown to contribute to wrinkles.
If you are a side sleeper, you should consider sleeping on the left side. It alleviates acid reflux and heartburn, boosts digestion, stimulates the drainage of toxins from your lymph nodes, improves circulation, and helps your brain filter out waste.
Some research suggests that the SIDS risk for babies who sleep on their sides and then fall onto their stomachs is much higher than the risk for babies who are always placed to sleep on their stomachs. Babies should be placed wholly on their backs for naps and at night to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The side effects of sleeping on your back, side, and stomach
What is the most unhealthy sleeping position?
Worst: Sleeping on Your Stomach
It may help decrease the sound of snoring, but in general, stomach sleeping is not recommended. With your head raised on the pillow, it can be difficult to keep the spine in a neutral position. Sleeping on your stomach puts a strain on the back and neck.
Sleeping on your front is considered unhealthy because it can inhibit breathing and cause irregular curvature of the spine. The turning of the head to one side when sleeping in this position is another cause of such a curvature. All of this can lead to inflammation and pain in the neck muscles in addition to back pain.
If you sleep on your side, you can put your mind at rest about protecting the health of your brain. According to recent research, side sleeping enhances your brain's ability to eliminate the built-up waste that can lead to neurological diseases.
Why should you sleep with your bedroom door closed?
'Closing your bedroom door at night offers some privacy and creates a peaceful sleeping environment. It can help to reduce noise and block out distractions from other areas of the house, such as the kitchen or living room,' she explains.
Sleeping on the left side isn't a problem if you don't have underlying heart issues. But for people with congestive heart failure and other heart issues, it can cause discomfort and even breathing difficulties. If that sounds familiar, try turning to your right when you hit the sheets.
Sleeping with your head or feet elevated achieves different things. Elevating your feet improves blood circulation and prevents swelling in the feet, while sleeping with your head elevated improves breathing and prevents snoring.
1 Most people go to sleep in the most comfortable position they can find, but promising research is showing that some positions may be better for you than others. Side sleeping can cause or exacerbate shoulder and neck pain, and contribute to muscle imbalance.
According to sleep experts, you should sleep on your side with your knees slightly bent to relieve low back pain. If the position feels uncomfortable, you can put a pillow between your legs, and your neck should have strong support too.
What your sleeping position says about your mental health?
Depending on whether you sleep with your arms down at your sides (reserved) or arms and legs outstretched (relaxed, open-minded) might also have an influence. Sleeping on your stomach is linked to defensiveness, as well as perfectionism and sensitivity to criticism.
While back sleeping can be good for your health in many ways, it can also worsen certain conditions such as sleep apnea, lower back pain, and heartburn. And for pregnant people, back sleeping is highly discouraged, especially during the third trimester.
"Sleeping on the back means that your tongue and jaw can fall down and crowd your airway. And many people snore more on their back," says Dr. Krahn. Sleeping on your stomach helps keep the airway open, but it can put a strain on your spine and neck.
Sleeping on your back can lead to a sore lower back as well. There is one big pro to this position, though: It can help acid reflux. Make it better: To help avoid aches in this face-up position, place a pillow or rolled-up towel under your knees.
This is the reason why many people complain of getting a headache when they wake up. Sleeping with your head pointing North can also disrupt your blood circulation and lead to disturbed sleep. In order to prevent such a scenario, it is better to avoid sleeping with your head facing North.
For those of us that move around a lot in our sleep, have to sleep on a slight incline, or share the bed with a heavier partner, having one leg bent up can act as an anchor to help with weight distribution and stop us from migrating around the bed.
Is it better to sleep on your side or on your back?
Neither position is unhealthy. Back sleeping may be the best position to maintain spine alignment. We recommend side sleeping since it offers more health benefits, such as reducing pressure on the heart. Side sleeping can also reduce snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, and acid reflux symptoms.
What are the disadvantages of sleeping on your back?
A potential downside is that this position may increase your risk of experiencing acid reflux symptoms when you wake up if you suffer from an acid issue. Also, though the reason is not known or understood, sleep paralysis is more common when sleeping on your back.
Sleeping on your stomach can be bad for your neck and back. Over time, you can try to transition to a side sleep position, but if you can't sleep any other way, use a pillow wisely. Position the pillow under your pelvis and lower stomach. As for your head, use a thin pillow or not one at all.