Best sleeping positions and the effects on your Health

In which position do you usually sleep? This is also a very important question. Not only are you getting enough sleep, but how you sleep is also of great importance and it can affect your health.

Your sleeping pose can have a major impact on your slumber—as well as your overall health. Poor sleeping posture could potentially cause back and neck pain, fatigue, sleep apnea, muscle cramping, impaired circulation, headaches, heartburn, tummy troubles, and even premature wrinkles.

Sleeping on your side, back or stomach– all the positions greatly influence your health and demeanor. They not only affect how you feel physically the next morning or throughout the day, but may also affect your brain health and contribute to brain disorders like dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Many factors can affect your sleep, including the room environment, the mattress, your stress level, your diet and so on. But often, body position is overlooked, even though it is actually a key contributor to a good night’s sleep

Not only has this, sleeping posture played a key role in snoring, acid reflux, heartburn, sleep apnea and even wrinkles!

1.       Sleeping on your back (soldier position)

Pros - Sleeping on your back is usually considered the best position for your spinal health, as the back remains straight. It reduces pressure on the disc, thus preventing pain in the neck and back.

Also, sleeping on your back reduces acid reflux, helps maintain perky breasts and minimizes facial wrinkles.

Cons – Sleep apnea and snoring are common issues associated with back sleepers.

When you sleep on your back, gravity forces the base of the tongue to collapse into the airway. This obstructs breathing and causes snoring that can keep your partner up at night.

Solution:

Try to sleep on your back without a pillow to keep your neck in a neutral position. Make sure not to use too many pillows, as it can make breathing more difficult. It is best to use a large pillow under the back of your knees to support the natural curve in your lower back. You can also use a buckwheat pillow under your head to support your neck when you lie down.

2.       On your Back, Arms up (Starfish position)

Pros – Back sleeping is considered the best position in terms of your spinal and neck health. This particular pose places less pressure on the discs, thus preventing spine and neck pain.

In addition, it helps reduce acid reflux because the head is elevated and the stomach is able to sit below the esophagus. This prevents the digested substances from coming back up into the esophagus.

This starfish sleeping posture also prevents facial wrinkles and skin breakouts.

Cons – On the downside, this position can result in snoring issues. Also, having your arms raised above your head can cause pain due to pressure on the nerves in the shoulders.

Solution:

Avoid using a pillow while sleeping in this posture to allow your head, neck and spine to rest in a neutral position. This means there’s no extra pressure on those areas during your sleep.

3.       On your side, Arms stretched out (Yearned position)

Pros – This sleeping position prevents back and neck pain. In addition, it helps reduce snoring and ease heartburn and acid reflux.

Not only this, this sleeping posture even allows the body to clear waste from the brain more efficiently and reduce the risk of developing brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Plus, people who sleep in this posture are less likely to wake up in the middle of the night. This is mainly due to the comfort your body gets during sleep.

Cons – Sleeping on your side restricts the proper flow of blood and puts pressure on the nerves, which may cause pain in the shoulders and arms. Nerve compression may place strain on internal organs like the stomach, liver and lungs, which can cause discomfort.

Side sleeping may also cause saggy breasts and premature skin aging, as placing one side of your face on the pillow results in facial wrinkles.

Solution:

Sleep on a satin pillowcase to reduce the chance of facial wrinkles. To support your top leg, you can place a pillow between your knees. However, to reduce upper arm discomfort, it is recommended to switch to the log position, where you put your arms by your sides. 

4.       On your side, Arms by your side (Log position)

Pros – This is an ideal sleeping position for the spine, as it receives complete support in its natural curve. The straight spine not only prevents back and neck pain but also also reduce sleep apnea.

In addition, sleeping on your side also reduces snoring. This is the best sleeping position for pregnant women.

Cons – As the top leg does not get enough support in this sleeping position, chances are high that you may develop back or hip pain in the future. Also, side sleeping can lead to skin aging (facial wrinkles and sagging breasts) due to gravity. It can even cause neck pain.

Solution:

As this position can cause neck pain, use a thick pillow to support your neck. For your pillow, always use a satin pillowcase to prevent facial wrinkles.

Also, place a pillow between your thighs to support your top leg.

5.       Fetal position

Sleeping all curled up on either side, in a ball-like position with your knees drawn up to your chest and chin tilted down.

Pros – This position reduces snoring to a considerable extent. It is also a good position for pregnant women.

Sleeping on your left side can especially help reduce acid reflux, as it will keep the stomach below the esophagus and gravity helps keep the reflux at bay.

Cons – Although this position may be quite comfortable while sleeping, it can put a lot of strain on your neck and back. This can lead to serious neck and back troubles, such as sciatic nerve pain, in the future.

Plus, the extreme curl can strain your back and joints as well as causing a number of issues like restricted breathing, wrinkles and saggy breasts.

Solution:

Those who love sleeping in this position should use a firm pillow to support their head. Also, the pillow should be high enough to keep the head in a neutral or even position. This will help reduce stress and pressure on the neck to prevent neck pain, muscle aches and stiffness. It is also recommended that people sleeping in this position alternate sides during the night.

Curling on your left side causes stress on vital organs like the liver, lungs and stomach, so if the fetus is your position of choice, curl up on your right side.

6.       Face down (freefall position)

Sleeping on your stomach with your head turned to either side or your arms embracing the pillow. 

Pros – Sleeping on your stomach helps keep the upper airways more open, thus reducing snoring. This posture even helps improve digestion to a certain degree. (However, prolonged sleeping in this position may have a negative impact on your digestive system.)

Cons – Sleeping on your stomach may be considered the worst sleeping position, as it causes overarching of your spine. Lying on your stomach does not support the natural curve of your spine and puts a strain on the lumbar spine and other joints and muscles, leading to pain and numbness.

It also forces your neck to be rotated in one direction or the other in tight and closed positions, which strains your neck and restricts proper breathing and blood circulation. This position is strictly not recommended for those who suffer from neck or back pain.

For obese people, this type of sleeping puts extra pressure on internal organs like the lungs.

Solution:

If you love to sleep on your stomach, try a somewhat side-sleeping position by wedging a pillow between your stomach and the mattress. This will make you more comfortable than side sleeping alone and also prevent you from rolling onto your belly while asleep.

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