Sleeping positions and your health

by Jessica Abelsohn | 05 Jun 2014

Everything about your sleep, from the length of time, to the quality and even to the position, can affect your health.

When you drift off to sleep each night, it's probably in whatever position you happen to be most comfortable, but there are medical benefits and pitfalls to the way you choose to lie overnight.

The alignment of your spine and body can be crucial to how you wake up in the morning, especially as we age and our joints become less mobile. Proper body alignment is also imperative to allow your body to recover from the stress of the day.

Just as the song says, “The hip bone’s connected to the back bone, the back bone’s connected to the shoulder bone”.

All of our bones are connected and not giving the spine the ability to recuperate can be exceptionally detrimental to your overall health. 

On your back

Sleeping on your back has shown to take pressure off your spine, leading to fewer backaches in the morning. It also ensures proper circulation to your brain and fights acid reflux. However, if you’re a snorer, sleeping on your back is not the best position for you. Your tongue tends to collapse to the back wall of your throat leading to louder and more snoring.

On your side

Sleeping on your side is said to reduce snoring, ease heartburn and acid reflux which means you’ll find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, many medical experts say if you’re going to sleep on your side, the left is better as it improves circulation to the heart.

On your stomach

While it may be comfortable, sleeping on your stomach is by far the position that gets the least amount of points. You can’t sleep face-planted into the pillow, so chances are you’re neck is going to be twisted and turned. It may seem comfortable at the time, but consider if you were lying like that awake, how many times would you turn your head? Now think about how little you probably do it while you’re asleep. Explain the sore neck?

Sleeping on your stomach puts stress on joints and muscles, and can irritate the nerves and lead to pain, tingling and numbness.

Foetal position

The foetal position is most often than not, the go-to position when you can’t sleep. It evokes the womb and tends to relax a person. However, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be when it comes to your health.

The curl of the back may restrict breathing and if you stay in that position for the duration of your sleep, it can affect your back and neck.