After a long tiring day when you curl up under the sheets at bedtime, you probably strike onto your favorite sleeping posture. You may settle into your habitual position without thinking much about it. The question is ” Are you sleeping in the correct position?. If you are getting enough sleep of seven to eight hours and still waking up feeling lackluster, you might need to fix what you are actually doing wrong to your body when the lights are out. There is a strong science explaining how your sleeping posture is affecting your mental health, physical health, and overall personality. Keep scrolling down if you want to know what’s your habitual sleeping pose and how helpful or harmful it is to your health. It is never too late to correct your posture to avoid health issues in the longer run.
Most Common Sleeping Posture
Around 54% of the population across the globe sleep on their side a total of 38% sleep on their back. The smallest group of people making up about 7% sleep on their stomachs.
What Is the Best Sleeping Position for You?
It is not new to anyone that sufficient sleep is essential for mental and physical health. But you may be surprised to know how the sleeping positions are affecting your health and inducing changes in your personality. Sleeping positions are reported to impact your everyday behavior.
Most Common Sleeping Postures
Here are the most commonly practiced sleeping positions. Give it a quick read to find out your favorite sleeping posture it’s pros and cons.
Sleeping on Your Stomach
Do you sleep face down or your head dig between your arms, raised on a pillow? If you lie on your stomach, don’t sweat it, you are not alone. You are among a group of 7% of people. A minority sleep on their stomach. This is also known as prone sleeping posture on your tummy can save others from your loud snoring at night but in any case, it is never recommended.
Stressed neck and spine:
Sleeping on the stomach with the head raised on the pillow will keep your neck and spine in a continuous state of stress. Your muscles are under strain. The central core of your body is the heaviest and will keep your back in a constant bent position. This overarching of the spine can lead to many medical complications.
Nerve Damage and Reduced Blood flow:
It could cause several nerves impingement leading to loss of sensations mostly in your lower extremities over a period of time. Restricted blood circulation can cause damage to various body parts.
If you can’t quit it initially try to keep your neck and spine in a neutral position. Place the top part of your forehead onto the pillow or place a pillow under your pelvic region to avoid overarching your back.
Sleeping in the Fetal Posture
Sleeping on the side with your legs curled up and knees bent towards the head. This produces an extra curvature to the spine and keeps the neck into a stiff position.
Restricts Breathing:
Sleeping in this position can restrict the movement of the primary muscle of breathing Diaphragm. Sometimes patients in this prolonged posture choke while sleeping.
Fetal Position and Pregnancy:
This position is of great importance for pregnant women. This posture helps better circulation for the fetus and mother. If you are having hip pain by this position. Place a pillow between your knees to relieve the pressure.
Lateral Sleeping Position
Sleeping on the side is the most common position. Around 54% of the people across the globe sleep in this posture. This is the most accurate sleeping posture with a lot of advantages to health.
Elongated Spine:
Striking this pose will help one to keep the spine in the most lengthened fashion in a relaxed state. It will relieve the extra stresses and prevents the spine from overarching and extra stiffening. No nerve impingement is associated with an elongated relaxed spine.
Impact on Muscles:
This pose supports the alleviation of the neck, shoulder, and back muscles. Reduces strain on them and retains them in a balanced state.
Good News for the patients struggling with sleep apnea:
The patients who are struggling with sleep apnea, mouth breathers, and loud snorers. This position will prevent these disorders by opening up the restricted airways back to their normal state.
Log Position
People with this posture sleep on the side with the legs and arms in the stiff straightened pose. A classical representation of the cold and rigid body. If a person is holding a history of arthritis, ( inflammation of joints) this may aggravate the joint pain by stiffness.
Initially, try to keep arms and legs in a slightly flexed state to quit this habit with time.
Supine Position
Supine posture is the second most common position. Commonly it’s known as sleeping on the back. Approximately 38% of the population is habitual of this posture. The advantage of this position is it keeps the neck and supine in a neutral unstrained state.
A Bad Omen for people having sleep apnea:
This position exacerbates snoring and obstructs the airways causing difficulty in breathing while sleeping.
Lower Back Pain:
It increases lower back pain mostly in the older age group by putting prolonged pressure on the lower back. If you enjoy sleeping in the position but it is also a reason for your lower back pain. I have a solution to your situation. Use a neck roll or small cervical cushion beneath your neck to relieve the pressure on your lower back.
Takeaway:
It’s essential for an adult to get enough sleep of 7 to 8 hours a day. A human spends one-third of one’s life sleeping. It is essential to have a normal circadian rhythm also known as the body’s biological clock for the perfect balance to a healthy lifestyle. If you are sleep deprived it’s affecting your mental and physical health equally. Try to maintain your sleep hygiene by following a few steps on a regular basis. Try to practice quality sleep every night by following a few simple steps:
- Avoid excessive caffeine before you go to bed.
- Avoid intense light, noise, and other sleep distractors from your surroundings.
- Try to set up a routine.
- Exercise regularly.
- Add a hot cup of milk with a teaspoon of sugar before you go to bed in your sleep hygiene diary.
- Use chamomile tea or lavender tea to relieve stress.
Keep practicing these essential steps for a healthy and well-balanced mind and body.
Sources:
https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/6.1.52
https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.118.4.1018
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/back-side-stomach-sleep-position-best/
