Have you ever wondered if the way you sleep is affecting how you sleep at night? Is there really a right way to sleep? The answer is yes, and it can actually help with getting a better nights sleep, and help you avoid back pain when you wake up in the morning.
Sleeping on your back is the best position to sleep during the night for your body. However, please do remember that you do not want to prop your head up to much. Try using only one pillow when you sleep in this position. The back position helps maintain a neutral position for your head, neck and spine, which in return will help prevent back and neck pain. This is also a great position for fighting acid reflux because if done right, your stomach will be below the esophagus, so the acid from foods cannot make their way back up. However, If you have problems with snoring, this is not a good sleeping position to sleep in.
Lying on your side is also a great position for preventing neck and back pain, acid reflux, and snoring. For women, this sleeping position is also good when you are pregnant. Sleeping on your side helps keep your spine straight as well. However, if you are concerned about your skin, sleeping on your side can cause you to get wrinkles. Again, for women, one down side to sleeping on your side is that this position can cause your breasts to sag. For this position, place the pillow above your shoulder so your head and neck are supported in a neutral position.
The fatal position(curled up position) also helps people with snoring, and for women it is another great position to sleep in when you are pregnant. However, I do not suggest sleeping in this position because it does irritate neck and back pain, and does restrict diaphragmatic breathing. If you are a fatal position sleeper, try straightening out a little bit.
Overall, if you are looking for the best sleeping position at night, I highly recommend sleeping on your back with your head perfectly elevated. As I said before, this is a good way to prevent neck and back pain. If you are a person who sleeps on their stomach and are fighting back pain, try switching over to your back. However, this is not an easy transition but once you get comfortable with this sleeping position you should notice a difference when you wake up.
