How do you sleep?
Do you crawl into bed and lie on your belly?
Or is it your back or side you sleep on?
If we’re struggling to sleep we all have a go-to position that we know we’ll be able to doze off in.
How you sleep can be linked to certain health issues. Most people live to 75 or over and we spend 25 of those years sleeping, so the way we sleep can have massive consequences on our health.
Your sleeping position can cause problems with your back and snoring and can often reflect the type of personality you have. This article will show you how each position can affect your help and some of the best positions to sleep in if you have certain health issues or are pregnant.
Here are the most common sleeping positions and how they could be affecting your health:
On your belly:
If you sleep on your belly you will probably find that you toss and turn quite a lot and it can cause severe back pain and strain to your neck. So if you spend most of your night on your tummy, try not to because it’s not a good way to sleep.
On your back:
Sleeping on your back is exactly what it says on the tin, you lie on your back with your arms doing whatever feels comfiest and it can have a pretty big impact on your health, especially the state of your back.
If you sleep in this position, you can cause yourself a lot of lower back pain. If you snore it won’t help either and it definitely isn’t good if you have sleep apnoea because it can make it worse as it makes your airways narrower.
Soldier:
Sleeping in the ‘soldier’ style has the same health impacts as sleeping on your back. ‘Soldier’ style is where you are straight on your back and your arms are straight along your sides. Only 8% of the world sleep in this position and this position suggests you keep to yourself because you sleep with your arms close to your side.
Spooning:
Spooning is reserved for those sleeping with a partner. Do you like to cuddle your partner in the night? Some people can’t sleep in the same bed without doing it and others outright refuse to do it.
Well, this is a pretty good sleep position because it helps your body release oxytocin, which helps lower your stress levels and less stress is good in a relationship. If you are in a good spot in your relationship then sleeping like this can help you stay happy in the morning, and if you are in a bad spot then sleeping like this could help your relationship.
Your side:
Sleeping on your side means that you are sleeping directly on top of one shoulder which can sometimes be a problem. While it normally isn’t you can sometimes find yourself restricting the blood flow down your arm. I’m sure if you regularly sleep like this then you will have woken up in the middle of the night with no feeling in your arm before.
If you’re a snorer, you should sleep on your side. It means that your airways are slightly more open and blocked airways are what causes snoring. If you find that you snore very loudly, you could be suffering from sleep apnea which can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
On your front:
This is where you sleep on your belly and twist your head so it’s not facing straight down too. Some people find it very uncomfortable and for other’s its the only way they can get to sleep.
Sleeping on your front is actually one of the worst ways you can sleep. Because your head isn’t faced down too, your body is slightly twisted and it means it can take a while to get truly comfortable. As your body is twisted it can cause your lower back to slightly twist too which can cause severe strain to it.
It can also affect your neck too as it is constantly twisted. It can exacerbate trapped nerves and actually cause you to get them. If you can help it try not to sleep on your front as your spine in one of the most important parts of your body.
Starfishing:
This position consists of spreading out your limbs whilst lying on your back and taking up as much of the bed as possible. The position actually has a fair few benefits for your health.
Starfishing can help rest the spine and neck as the blood is flowing around the body very well. If you suffer from heartburn then this position can also help you naturally deal with it.
It reduces the chance of acid reflux as the head is elevated above the body and substances can’t go from the stomach to the esophagus. This includes things like acid that will cause a lot of pain in the form of heartburn.
If you have back pain this could be the best position for you…
If you have back pain, then sleeping on your side can actually help reduce back pain a lot. As mentioned above, it allows the blood to flow well through your body but it also relieves pressure on the back and can give it some true rest.
Another extra thing you can do to help relieve more pressure is to put a pillow between your legs too as this will take the pressure off your hips, in turn taking the pressure off your back too.
If you are pregnant then this is the best position for you…
A lot of experts recommend different things but apparently, the best thing is to sleep exclusively on your left side. Apparently, this is the best thing for the baby and it will allow more blood and nutrients to the growing baby.
A lot of women who are pregnant suffer from lower back pain so sleeping on your side can also help relieve this pain you will probably be experiencing.
