How Your Sleep Position Affects Your Health

We all have our own favourite sleeping position, but did you know that it can be impacting your health in both positive and negative ways. Sleeping on your side is thought to be one of the best ways to lay at night, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. You also need to make sure you’ve got the best side sleeper mattress to really enhance your position as well. So, if you’re interested in how your sleeping position affects your health, keep reading and find out!

Front Sleepers

One of the worst positions to sleep in is said to be on your stomach. This is because it keeps your head titled up, therefore forcing your spine out of alignment. It also puts immense strain on your back and neck as it’s having to overarch to compensate for the position of your body. It can actually lead to numbness and tingling of the hands over time too. Sleeping on your front is terrible for your blood circulation because you’ll normally have your head facing to the side, restricting your airways, and cutting off your circulation. If you can’t get to sleep any other way, then try having your forehead on to pillow only and pop a pillow underneath your pelvis. Both of these will help to naturally align your spine and promote healthy circulation.

Back Sleepers

Sleeping on your back can be extremely comfortable, as it actually helps to keep your spine aligned if you have a supportive mattress. However, it’s not a great position for those who suffer from acid reflux or sleep apnoea. This is because your tongue relaxes in the night and is then pulled into your airway, causing you to stop breathing. Laying flat on your back also allows the acid in your stomach to travel up the oesophagus instead of it remaining where it should, leading to acid reflux. You may also experience lower back pain when sleeping like this. To combat it, try using a pillow beneath it or prop up your knees. This should help reduce the amount of pressure placed on your back.

Foetal Position

Similar to side sleeping is the foetal position. This is where you lay on your side, but you curve your body inwards as if you were a sleeping baby. This much of a curvature oof the back is said to put immense strain on your neck and back, so it’s best to be stretched out as much as possible. The foetal position can also restrict your breathing too as you create a limited space for your diaphragm to move as you breathe. So, if you’re a foetal position fan, then try switching to a purely side position instead to combat the issues this one has.

Side Sleepers

Sleeping on your side is one of the best ways you can sleep as with the right mattress, the pressure is evenly distributed, and your spine is naturally aligned. However, if you sleep on the same side continuously, you can cause some strain on your shoulders. If you don’t have a supportive enough mattress, then you can easily put too much pressure on your hips and knees, leading to a lot of aches and pains when you wake up. So, if you’re a side sleeper, don’t think that it can’t be improved. Try popping pillows under your main pressure points or upgrade your mattress and you’ll definitely feel a change for the better.

If you’re finding it hard to sleep at night, take a look at your sleeping position and see if it’s contributing to your problems. You can then look at the solutions for them and tailor your sleeping position and mattress to your body. Not all sleeping positions are good for you, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be made better with a little adjustment. If it’s totally impossible for you to change your sleeping position, then using some extra pillows where you need them can make all the difference. So, the next time you wake up with an achy back, try and see if your sleeping position could be to blame and you’ll soon figure out how you can fix it.