On the side
This is the most common position: about 41% of people fall asleep on their side. Some people are used to sleeping only on the left or only on the right, while for others it makes no fundamental difference which side to lie on. Both positions are equally safe for the spine, however, research shows that lying on the left or right side can have different effects on the quality of sleep. It turns out that people who sleep on the left side are more likely to have nightmares in which they find themselves in dangerous situations. Dreams on the right side are usually much more pleasant: people see beautiful landscapes and feel safe.
Many doctors call sleeping on your side the most beneficial for the spine, however, the wrong mattress or a bad pillow can turn a night's rest into torture. On a pillow that is too flat or deformed, the head usually falls back. In this position, the muscles and ligaments of the neck become very tense and the nose becomes stuffy. A mattress that is too hard can lead to numbness in your arms and legs at night, and tension in your knees and hip joints. To prevent possible problems when sleeping on your side, you should get the right mattress and pillow. The mattress should not be too hard, but provide good support for the lower back, shoulders, hips and knees, and the pillow should support the head in a natural position.
Sleeping on your side with your legs straight is considered beneficial for the muscles of the spine and gastrointestinal tract. In addition, this position has a good effect on the circulatory system. By the way, this pose is considered the most beneficial for pregnant women. Doctors say that when the expectant mother lies on her side, the baby inside feels much better than when a woman sleeps on her back (besides, in this position the load on the lumbar spine increases).
Speaking about the side position, it is worth focusing on several important points. When taking this position, you should not pull your legs towards you too much and take the so-called baby or fetal position. This position creates stress on the knee joints and spine. In addition, it is more difficult to breathe in the infant position because the lungs are compressed and cannot fully expand during inhalation. This ultimately leads to mild hypoxia.
Another danger of sleeping on your side is wrinkles. Lying on one side all night puts pressure on your face and makes your skin more prone to wrinkles.
How to sleep on your side without getting your arms numb
Most people prefer to sleep on their side, and for good reason. Our most intense sleep and development occurred while we were curled up in the fetal position in the womb. Sleeping on your side naturally mimics this stage of development.
This position is more likely than lying on your back to eliminate snoring and make breathing easier. In addition, according to research, sleeping on your side (particularly your left side) helps relieve discomfort from digestive disorders such as belching and heartburn.
The disadvantage of this position, as everyone who sleeps on their side knows, is numbness in the fingers or even the entire arm due to impaired blood circulation and normal nerve function.
Here are some simple tips for side sleepers.
Take the pressure off your shoulder. Instead of sleeping with your shoulder propped up, try moving it slightly forward to prevent poor circulation in the shoulder and arm muscles.
Level the pillow. She should not raise her head too high. Make sure the pillow supports your neck without disturbing the natural line of your spine.
For those with back pain, experts recommend sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees. This will help stabilize the spine and relieve pressure from the hips and lower back.
On the back
If you are wondering which position, from a physiological point of view, is the safest for the spine, then it is lying on your back. However, only 8% of people find this position comfortable for sleeping. By the way, according to one theory, authoritative people who value order and discipline are accustomed to sleeping in this position.
Sleeping on your back is best for restoring and relaxing your entire body. People who sleep this way say that they usually feel rested and energized in the morning. Resting in this position has a beneficial effect on the internal organs, since nothing puts pressure on them. Sleeping on your back is especially beneficial for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, joints, and for optimal blood circulation throughout the body. Back sleepers are less likely to suffer from gastric reflux, but this position is most likely to snore. In the supine position, the skeletal muscles and vertebrae maintain the most correct distance from each other, which allows the body to rest.
But if you sleep on your back on a mattress that is too soft, your lumbar spine may be subject to excessive stress. Back resting also cannot be healthy and safe without the right pillow. If your head falls back during sleep, you will most likely have to face the morning with severe pain in your head and neck. Sleeping on a pillow that is too high makes breathing difficult, which leads to hypoxia, problems with the throat and heart. The right pillow should be both dense and moderately soft to support the neck and head in an optimal position.
Do you like to sleep on your back? Don't Make These Two Mistakes
Many experts say that the ideal option is to sleep lying on your back.
There are a number of reasons for this. This is the most suitable position for the spine. Also, you most likely will not be bothered by belching. Attention to everyone who cares about beauty: sleeping on your back allows your facial skin to breathe, which reduces the likelihood of dermatological problems and the appearance of early wrinkles. The disadvantage of this position is the high likelihood of snoring and sleep apnea. Sleeping on your back is the most correct choice, although perhaps not the most comfortable. This position is safe for the spine, but not if you make one of the following serious mistakes.
Huge pillow. It's okay to have a few pillows to decorate your interior, but you don't have to sleep on them. A pillow that is too large will distort the natural curve of the spine. This may result in headaches, back or neck pain, or other, more serious problems. Your brain is at risk of lack of blood supply due to the blood flowing upward along the side of the mountain called the Pillow. The natural position of the body during sleep involves keeping the head low enough to provide blood to the brain.
Worn out mattress. The mattress should support you - not too strongly (like the floor), but not too weakly (when the body falls into the lush abyss of the feather bed). Just make sure you don't go deep into it, compromising the natural curve of your spine.
On the stomach
It is believed that the stomach position is the least suitable for sleeping. About 7% of the world's population prefers to sleep in this position. There is an opinion that mostly sociable and open people sleep in this position, but they do not know how to control their own lives. In addition, it is believed that in this position one most often dreams of an erotic nature.
The danger of sleeping on your stomach is that this position reduces the supply of oxygen to the brain. That is, those sleeping on their stomachs are in a state of mild hypoxia for about 8 hours, which is not the most beneficial for health. In the position on the living, a load is created on the neck, shoulder joints, and the lower part of the spine bends unnaturally. Also, sleeping on your stomach contributes to faster aging of facial skin and the formation of fine wrinkles. Perhaps the only advantage of this position is complete relaxation of the legs and arms.
If you are used to sleeping on your stomach, then the mattress in your case cannot be too soft, otherwise breathing problems may occur. However, a bed that is too hard is even more dangerous because it puts a lot of pressure on the internal organs. A pillow for stomach sleepers should ideally be made of breathable granular material so that air can circulate freely through it.
Sleeping positions for various diagnoses
There are some cases in which your position in your sleep matters. For people who have problems with back or hip pain, certain sleeping positions are much more comfortable. For example, sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs can reduce pressure on your hips. Please note: sleeping on your stomach can put stress on your lower back.
People who suffer from acid reflux (the involuntary flow of stomach contents into the esophagus) notice that stomach acid is more likely to back up into the esophagus when sleeping completely horizontally. But when they sleep on a high pillow, they use gravity to relieve their symptoms.
If your feet are swollen, try elevating your feet slightly.
People with chronic heart failure often find that their breathing gets worse if their head is lowered, and vice versa - they feel better if they sleep in a semi-sitting position. This phenomenon is called orthopnea - when shortness of breath appears in a lying position. This is one of the signs of heart failure.
There is just the opposite phenomenon - platypnea - when shortness of breath appears when sitting or standing, and it is easier to breathe while lying down. This is a much rarer occurrence and usually results from a congenital heart defect, such as when blood is shunted between the right and left sides of the heart.
Restless sleep
We should talk separately about the category of people whose sleep can hardly be called restful. Some people, going to sleep on their side, wake up on their stomach or back, change their body position several times during the night, and in the morning they may find themselves across the bed or with their feet on the pillow. Researchers say that such a restless night's sleep is a characteristic feature of undisciplined and nervous people.
People who constantly change their body position while sleeping may wake up many times during the night. As a rule, just for a few seconds - just to change the position. But the sleep cycle is already disrupted. They do this semi-consciously, looking for a more comfortable position. Often the cause of restless sleep can be an uncomfortable bed, which causes numbness in the joints or puts pressure on the bones.
Features of correct position in case of illness
People suffering from various diseases need to take a responsible approach to the quality of their sleep. The chosen pose should not only relieve fatigue well, but also prevent complications of the disease.
Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system
With osteochondrosis and other pathologies of the spine, muscle tissue and nerve endings are pinched. To ensure healthy sleep, you need to relax and maintain the anatomical curves of your back. Doctors recommend using hard orthopedic mattresses, bolsters for the knees, and special pillows that ensure the correct position of the neck and head.
Optimal sleeping position:
- on the side;
- on the back.
Respiratory diseases
During bronchitis, asthma, or a severe cough, the breathing process is disrupted and a person may feel suffocated. Sick people find it difficult to find a resting position. To reduce discomfort and eliminate pressure on the chest, it is useful:
- Relax on a high pillow. An elevated head makes breathing easier and promotes mucus discharge .
- Sleep on your side. This makes it easier to clear your throat, avoid choking, and prevent mucus from clogging your nasal passages.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
Heart problems are a direct ban on sleeping on your stomach. Body weight compresses blood vessels, disrupts blood flow and puts a strong strain on the heart. As a result, a person more often suffers from arrhythmia, feels heaviness in the chest and pain.
It is advisable for heart patients to lie on their back and be sure to raise their head with a small pillow. If you snore, you can roll over onto your right side.
As practice shows, there is no ideal sleeping position. During the night's rest, the body independently determines the optimal sleeping position based on individual characteristics, emotional state and concomitant diseases.
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The most suitable postures for various diseases
If you suffer from heartburn
In this case, it is best to sleep on your left side, with your knees slightly tucked and your arms in a comfortable position in front of you. The fact is that lying on your left side can reduce the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and thereby prevent the release of hydrochloric acid. If the heartburn is very severe, then it is better to sleep on your back, placing several large pillows under it (so that you are in a half-lying, half-sitting position).
If your back hurts
According to research from Arizona specialists, about 40% of adults have back problems. If you choose the wrong sleeping position when you have a spinal disease, your rest may end in pain that is difficult to relieve. For such people, it is best to choose a sleeping position in which the spine takes a natural position. One of these is on your side with a pillow between your knees. This trick will prevent your knees from falling forward and will help keep your hips in a static position, thereby relieving tension from the spine.
If your nose is stuffy
Regardless of what caused your stuffy nose - allergies, sinusitis or a common cold - try not to sleep on your back. In this position, it is impossible for nasal secretions to drain, and when you breathe through your mouth, you risk drying out the oral cavity. When you have a runny nose, it is better to sleep on your side with your legs slightly bent. To elevate your head a little and make breathing easier at night, it is better to take two pillows.
If your shoulders hurt
Shoulder pain can occur for various reasons: due to slouching, carrying a heavy bag or incorrect posture during night sleep. It is believed that in this case the most suitable position would be lying on one's side, although sometimes it is this position that provokes pain. The fact is that some people like to sleep on their side, with their arm bent at the elbow under their head. However, in this position, an almost 5-kilogram load is created on the shoulders, and the head puts pressure on the nerve plexuses, causing pain.
If you have pain in the shoulder joint, you should lie on your healthy side. The best position: legs slightly bent at the knees, the lower arm extended forward, on top of it is a light pillow on which the second arm should be placed. If not only your shoulders, but also your back hurts, a pillow should also be placed between your thighs - this prevents you from falling forward. For pain in both shoulders, the optimal sleeping position is on your back with your arms extended along your body.
For PMS
If you experience bloating, pain in the chest or lower abdomen during PMS, you should not sleep curled up or on your stomach. Lying on your side will further increase the pain in the chest, and lying on your stomach under the weight of your body creates pressure on the uterus and this will also make the pain even worse. During PMS, experts advise women to sleep on their backs with a small pillow under their knees. This pose allows you to relieve tension in the lower back and relieve discomfort in the stomach.
When grinding teeth
Teeth grinding doesn't just happen to children. Researchers estimate that about 8% of the world's adult population suffers from this disorder. The danger of bruxism (this is the name of this condition) lies not only in the unpleasant sounds a person makes at night. Over time, this can cause toothache, jaw disease, and even lead to changes in facial shape. By the way, bruxism is a genetic disorder; doctors associate its occurrence with stress and anxiety.
People suffering from bruxism benefit from sleeping on their back. In this position, all facial muscles relax, including those responsible for jaw movement. In this case, it is important to keep your hands straight along the body, since a person instinctively turns his head towards the bent limb, and in this position, teeth grinding can resume.
If your neck hurts
Neither pillows that are too high nor too flat are good for your body. In any of them, the head takes an unnatural position, which creates pressure on the cervical vertebrae, causing tension in the muscles of the neck and head.
High or flat pillows are most dangerous when sleeping on your stomach or side.
For neck pain, it is best to sleep on your back. But in this case, it is very important to find exactly “your” pillow - the most suitable height and density. If neck pain is caused by a prolapsed disc, then sometimes doctors advise sleeping for a while without a pillow at all - this helps to straighten the neck.
If your hip joints hurt
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Approximately 15% of the adult population suffers from bursitis, an inflammation of the joint capsule. This disease is more common in men than women and is usually caused by excessive stress on the joints. If we talk about women, the symptoms of this disease often appear in lovers of high heels. The main symptom of the disease is severe pain in the affected joint. If the inflammation begins in the hip area, then sleeping on your side is the least suitable position. In this position, the painful joint is pressed against the mattress under the weight of the body, which only intensifies the pain. The best option is to sleep on your back. Some people find relief from placing a pillow under their knees.
Why is the correct sleeping position important, and how to sleep in the end?
If you sleep well in a position that you like and get enough sleep, you can continue to do so. We, in turn, will consider the pros and cons of all known sleeping positions.
Sleeping on your side
Most people choose this position. Side sleeping is suitable for those who like to cuddle with a pillow, blanket or loved one.
A reasonable question immediately arises - which side to choose for sleeping? On the one hand, some medical sources recommend sleeping on your left side, since in this case the heart and digestive tract work better. On the other hand, there is an opinion that you need to sleep on your right side. For example, for diseases of the liver or gall bladder, it is advised to lie on the right side of the body to speed up the healing process. However, you can sleep on both sides. For a person without health problems, both postures for relaxation are certainly suitable.
In some cases, it is still recommended to sleep on the left or right side. So, if you have heartburn or ulcers, it is recommended to sleep on your left side. Pregnant women are also advised to sleep on the left side of the body. For apnea and snoring, you are allowed to sleep on both sides. The main thing is that the person does not sleep on his back.
There are also disadvantages to sleeping on your side. Staying in an uncomfortable position on your side for a long time can lead to numbness in the shoulder, pain in the pelvic area, as well as discomfort in the spine. As a rule, these problems arise due to an incorrectly selected mattress and pillow for sleeping.
To prevent pain in the morning, you need the correct sleeping position, in which the spine maintains a straight position. In appearance, in a side pose, you should look the same as in the photo below.
Fetal position in sleep
The second most correct sleeping position. Less than half the world's population sleeps there. This position is comfortable to sleep in when there is very little space to sleep.
The fetal position is identical to the side-lying position. The back and neck are in the same position, with the knees pulled towards the stomach.
They say that mostly shy people, as well as people with an ardent temperament, sleep in this position.
The fetal position is a fairly comfortable position for sleeping. However, for greater comfort, you can place a pillow between your legs. This way, you will reduce the load on your lower back during sleep.
Is sleeping on your back a good sleep position?
Some experts believe that sleeping in this position is more physiological than sleeping on the side. Internal organs experience less pressure when sleeping on your back than in other positions. This means that their work at night is not disrupted.
It is recommended to sleep in this position if you have pain in the spine.
You should not sleep on your back if you have severe snoring or sleep apnea. If you have such problems, it is better to rest in a different position.
It is noteworthy that the supine position is mainly characteristic of people with sleep disorders. At the same time, those who sleep in this position do not get enough sleep more often.
A mattress is also important for back sleepers . When sleeping in this position, the mattress should follow the curve of your body.
Sleeping on your back with your feet on a pillow
In this pose, the load on the lower back is reduced, since the legs are in a physiological position. According to experts, lying on your back with a pillow is also considered the correct sleeping position.
If one pillow is not enough, place one or two more pillows under your feet. When choosing pillows, focus on your lumbar comfort.
The supine pose with legs thrown up is not for everyone. Therefore, before you constantly sleep in this position, lie for 1-2 hours in this position before going to bed . Evaluate your feelings. If you are comfortable and your legs do not become numb, you can safely sleep on your back with your legs thrown up on the pillow. By the way, many, having tried this position, continue to sleep in it and consider it the best position for sleeping.
Stomach pose
According to 7% of people, the prone position is the best sleeping position. This position reduces the risk of developing apnea and snoring.
Experts do not recommend sleeping on your stomach. In this position, the head is turned to the side for several hours, which overloads the cervical spine and leads to pain. The lower back is also often in an unnatural position, which can cause discomfort in the morning.
Cosmetologists also do not recommend sleeping on your stomach. In their opinion, sleeping in this position contributes to the appearance of early wrinkles on the face . This is especially true for those who sleep on a pillow, completely buried in it.
If you are still used to sleeping in this position and do not experience pain in the morning, you don’t have to give up sleeping on your stomach. However, for proper abdominal resting, it is recommended to adhere to the following tips:
- Choose a low pillow . Since this pose overloads the cervical region, you need the pillow to be thin. In a prone position on a high pillow, the neck takes an unnatural position. This can cause headaches in the morning. To avoid this, sleep on your stomach with a thin pillow or without one at all.
- Place another pillow under your stomach . The second pillow will take the pressure off your lower back and prevent back pain in the morning.
- Stretch your muscles after waking up . Morning stretching will relieve tension in the back muscles after sleeping on your stomach.
Correct position for sleeping together
Many couples prefer to sleep cuddling. Some people like it and don’t feel any discomfort. Others choose to sleep separately in the same bed, because sleeping together is completely inconvenient for them.
You can sleep in an embrace if both partners feel well-rested in the morning. After such sleep, there should be no swelling or muscle pain .
Otherwise, it is better to refuse to sleep in a hug and sleep separately in the same bed.
What does sleep position affect?
Do you often wake up in a bad mood?
Perhaps it's not you, but your mattress or incorrect sleeping position! It is enough to sit on an uncomfortable chair for half an hour for thoughts of unpleasant sensations to crowd out all other thoughts from your head. Now remember that we spend about 8 hours a day sleeping, and if all this time the body is in the wrong position, this can cause significant harm to the body. What specifically affects sleep position:
- blood supply to organs, including the brain;
- digestion,
- muscle regeneration,
- spinal condition,
- facial skin condition,
- on the lymphatic system.
