With everyone having busy lives and loads of distractions during the day, most people are glad to get any sleep at all. Once their tiresome working day is over, people want only one thing—to get under the sheets and get a good night’s sleep. But what about the position that you’re in while sleeping? Most people don’t think about that once they’re in bed, but you should know that some positions could actually allow you to sleep better at night.
When it comes to sleeping on your stomach, many people are wondering if that position is damaging to their health. The short answer to this question would be: yes, it is. According to a research conducted by Mayo Clinic, many people that are sleeping on their stomach wake up with pain in the neck, back and joints, but they also feel tired. It has been proven that sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on the spine and since the spine is a pipeline for your nerves, spinal stress can cause pain anywhere in your body. This sleeping position is not recommended for pregnant women either. Sleeping on the left side increases blood flow and oxygen intake but also more space for the baby to move instead being pressed against the mattress.
Side-sleeping is better for the overall health, provides more neutral spine position and reduces snoring.
Back position is considered to be the best one. Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your body to maintain a neutral position and prevents numbness of parts of your body. This sleeping position is good for your skin, as well. It reduces the level of getting wrinkles during sleeping due to the bad sleeping position but it also helps in maintaining the shape of the breasts.
If you are aware of the fact that sleeping on your stomach is the worst sleeping position and yet you cannot help yourself, here are some tips that you can follow:
1. Put a pillow under your pelvis. This will help keep your back and spine to be in a more neutral position and take pressure off your spine.
2. Use thin and comfortable pillow that will give adequate support to the head and neck and allow neutral position of the spine.
3. Stretch in the mornings. Slight warm-up, stretching and a few gentle exercises will return the body to normal and improve the blood flow.
