By Sharon Truelove
How much thought have you given to your sleep posture?
Most people don’t stop to think about what the best position is for sleeping in order to obtain a good night’s sleep. Keeping the back in a neutral position is important to avoid back and neck tension.
So, what is the best sleep position? According to many authorities it is:
1. Lie on your side
2. Pillow between bent knees
3. Head resting on one pillow
The pillow between the knees helps to keep the low back from torqueing and the pillow under the head keeps the upper spine straight. Another reason to sleep on your side (left is preferred) is that it maintains the connection between stomach and esophagus above the level of gastric acid (acid reflux).
Those with shoulder/back/kidney stone issues may be forced to sleep on their back. If you must sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees to reduce stress to the low/mid back and also put a pillow under the neck.
Trying to maintain a neutral position is difficult if you are a belly sleeper.
Sleeping on your stomach is more likely to result in aches and pains the next day. If you must sleep on your stomach, bend one arm upward and put it under the pillow. This will aid in reducing the stress and tension by lifting one side of your body.
Next Month: Correct pillows and mattresses.
Challenge:
1. Sleep tight and don’t let bedbugs bite!
2. Using the bed basic bed positioning to the left to describe the position you normally sleep in.
3. Does you sleep position cause you problems the next day?
Doesn’t the kitty looked comfortable-puurrrrrrrr!
It sure does 🙂 looks just like my old kitty Guillermo same colors and stripes. He used to sleep that way too 🙂
I generally sleep on my back with my left leg bent and my left hand on my stomach. I have a habit of using more than one pillow under my head / neck and had not previously considered that it could be the cause of intermittent morning headaches or neck pain. I often start out holding a pillow with my right arm but it is rarely there by morning. I’m curious to try using fewer pillows and trying out some better sleep positions. Thanks so much for the post!
I often sleep on my back with a body pillow curved around so it is under my neck and both my arms. When I sleep on my side I usually do something akin to the second row – first or third from the right. My sleeping position doesn’t usually cause me any problems unless I do something different from those.
I like to sleep on my stomach, but I find myself rolling around /tossing and turning most of the night. I try to sleep on my back with a pillow under my feet, but I am not comfortable that way and it makes me feel like I am sleeping in a hospital bed. I feel confined on my back. I do also like sleeping with a body pillow. I lay on my side and work the body pillow between my legs and then my arms…boy that sounds weird..lol. I think I use my pillows for snuggling with more than I do for support.
Well for starters, I definitely don’t and haven’t been sleeping in the “best” sleeping positions as explained above. I usually sleep on my belly with one hand up under my pillow and one leg bent, or on my back with no pillow under my knees and one arm over my head. This causes me to wake up with either a crick in my neck or lower back pain. I definitely try my best to sleep in one of the 2 “best” sleep positions to alleviate some or all of the pain I have when I wake up in the morning. Thanks for this post!
I always sleep on my side with one leg hiked up toward my chest and over in an h shape. I toss from one side to the other all night long but I always kick that one knee and leg that’s on the top over. I don’t use a pillow so maybe I should try that. At home I sleep on my left side mostly because I’m turned away from my husband and have MY space that way.
Try any sized pillow and let me know if it helped 🙂
I usually sleep on my left side with my left leg straight and my right bent up toward my chest. Ever since we had Pregnancy massage I have started using a body pillow underneath my right leg so it reduces the pressure on my back and I have found that I am not as stiff and sore in the mornings.
Glad to hear that the body pillow has lessened your stiffness and soreness in the a.m.’s
I will always lay on one of my sides, just depends what feels more comfortable at the time. I’ll bunch up the blankets between my knees and sometimes I’ll use a teddy bear to ease my shoulders since my right one sometimes gives me issues. I have a pillow I got from my chiropractor so I rarely ever have any neck pains. I sleep pretty well, usually.
I used to sleep on my tummy all the time. It was the only way I could fall asleep. In 2010 I was in a car wreck and have not been able to do it since. Now I sleep like you have suggested above except I have to have another pillow to snuggle!!!!
I sleep on my back, sides and stomach all through the night to get comfortable. I do find that when I sleep on my stomach I tend to wake up with a bit of a stiff neck.
sadly i currently dont sleep on a bed, i sleep on a couch. but for the most part i do sleep on my left side. i have neck pain tho because i sleep with my arm under the pillow. and my hips sometimes give me some problems because i dont sleep with a pillow between my knees, but also because most of the time i keep one leg straight with the superior side leg bent. im going to try and get into the habit of not laying on my arm and bending both legs now.
I do believe that the way you sleep can have an affect on your body however I am a belly sleeper. I have had back problems and tried the lay on my side with pillow between my legs what ends up happening is I wake up back on my stomach and the pillow in the floor. I don’t think I can really change my sleep habit since I’m not awake when I sleep 😉
I like to sleep on my side with a pillow in between my knees. Its actually the only position I have slept in all my life who knew it was the best position to sleep in. The only time sleeping in that position is if i did a lot the day before. I like to consider myself lucky,
I love to sleep on my sides (right side or left side) bundled up in a ball. I found out that when I sleep in a ball on my sides, I get a cramp in my left lower part of my stomach when I unfold out of the ball. So, I don’t do it to often. Now, I just sleep on my stomach with one leg up. I will have to try the right way and see how I feel and see if I sleep better.
I do a lot of tossing and turning when I sleep. Normally I sleep either on my back, side, or on my belly with my leg out at a 90 degree angle. I deal with stiff joints and lower back pain constantly but I do notice it more when I have been sleeping on my back for a long period of time.
I wish I slept like a cat. But I have a little pillow that I place between my legs and I try to sleep on my side as long as I can. It works.
I know that I don’t sleep in a good position, but it is so comfortable until my back starts to hurt and wakes me up. This is great blog though, I know what I should do I guess I am just hard headed.
I always sleep on my side but tend to wake up with pain still. I can sleep on my back but i am really stiff when I go to move. Its hard for me to say which is best for me to sleep.
Lately I have been sleeping on my belly with my arms wrapped under my pillow. No this is not comfortable in the morning, but I have also been having neck problems that makes it hard to get comfortable. Think it is time to invest in some new pillows because I am usually a slide sleeper with all the extra pillows.
I have always slept on my side and back. Its the only way i can sleep. If i lay on my back i have to have a pillow under knees to make it more comfortable. I sleep with 8 pillows every night they are all different so that way i can fine tune my needs at that moment.