Can a Sleeping Position Help You Sleep Better?

Getting enough sleep is critical to endurance well-being, body, mind, and health. The way you sleep at night impacts how you work throughout the day.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, it is advised that an average adult should get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. But, sleep problems can be caused by several factors from drinking or eating the wrong stuff while binge-watching in one of your vintage 3×5 rugs before mattress to your favorite sleeping place.

While people often ask what’s the best position for sleeping well, sleep experts and doctors have agreed that the most ideal sleeping position is the one that lets you sleep peacefully and wake up feeling rejuvenated. So, what the best sleep position in order to get a good night’s sleep?

Best Position: Sleeping on Your Back

If back-sleeping is your position of preference, well congratulations! You’re getting more benefits during sleeping than you’d realize. Sleeping on your back is considered the healthiest and the best sleep position among any other. It is the most orthopedically sound position because your neck and spine stay in natural alignment and weight is evenly distributed on your back all night long.

Since sleeping on your back relieves ribcage contraction, it reduces lung tension, allows the spine to be properly aligned and the back muscles to relax naturally. Also, it causes your internal organs to expand and relax.

For people suffering from acid reflux, sleeping on your back is the most beneficial for it allows gravity to pull down on your face and chest. Your stomach lies under your esophagus with your head slightly elevated so that acid and food are far less likely to return. You may also consider investing in adjustable beds from brands like Awara where you can sleep at an angle that minimizes acid reflux. 

Tips on Sleeping on Your Back

Back-sleeping is the most recommended for your everyday physical comfort. It also reduces the appearance of wrinkles compared to the other sleeping position that is a bonus. Aside from sleeping position, you may use a sleeping tool like a sleeping calculator to help you plan your sleep routine to get adequate sleep every night.

On the contrary, if you may find that sleeping flat on your back causes pain on the hips, you can simply place a pillow beneath your legs to raise them slightly to reduce the pressure.

One important thing to note is that, according to experts from CleanFlash, a company that produces top of the line CPAP/BiPAP Machine Cleaner, if you are suffering from sleep apnea, back sleeping is the worst of all the sleeping positions for you. Gravity pulls down your neck and stomach, making it difficult for you to breathe. Lying on your side or the prone position may be the better options to help your snoring go away.

Second Best: Sleeping on Your Side

Whether it’s on your left or right, sleeping on your side can greatly affect your health. For example, sleeping on your right allows the spine to relax in a more natural position, although it can worsen your heartburn. While, sleeping on your left can put a strain on internal organs like the liver, lungs, and stomach, but also reducing acid reflux.

Sleeping on one’s side is helpful by elongating the spine, which helps back pain. However, being a side-sleeper can also trigger unwanted skin aging, as putting one side of your face on the pillow can cause the appearance of wrinkles, even leading to saggy breasts.

(Best Side: Left Side

If you’re most comfortable in snuggling in your side, sleep experts recommend that you should lie on your left side.

The heart’s left side gets blood from the lungs and pumps it out into the body. Gravity promotes the function of your circulatory system when you sleep on your left. This position may help your heart easily pump blood throughout your body. With this, your body doesn’t need to move more frequently all night to accommodate the lack of blood flow. Nothing beats a good night’s sleep snuggling in blanquil blankets from Dreamcloud that are designed to put you to sleep faster.

Also, it may help minimize acid reflux disease and, if you’re pregnant, it can improve circulation to the fetus.

Less Ideal: Right Side

If you’re a right side sleeper, you could be exposed to a health risk. Your right side houses your entire cardiovascular system. Thus, the added pressure on this part of the body actually constricts your rib cage and puts additional strain on the lungs. The side can lead to aggravated symptoms of acid reflux. 

If you are in good health, you don’t need to worry about sleeping on a specific side. However, if you are prone to conditions like acid reflux and heartburn, you may want to consider changing up your sleeping position. 

Tips on Sleeping on Your Side

No matter which side you’re sticking to, we recommend placing a firm memory foam pillow between the knees. This will help maintain good alignment between the hips and joints. It’ll help evenly distribute your weight throughout the night, easing any feelings of discomfort around the joints some wake up within the morning.

However, if you’re pregnant, it is advised that you should sleep on your left side for optimal blood flow. For a good night’s sleep, you may add drinking a cup of calming tea to your sleep routine before heading to your bed.

If you need to stick to the right, roll up a small towel and place it in the small of your waist to avoid sinking into the mattress to remove the pressure on your organs and help you sleep well. Investing in good home products can be the answer. 

The Worst: Sleeping on Your Stomach

Sorry, stomach sleepers. Many health care professionals say that sleeping on your stomach is the easiest way to wake up with pain and discomfort the next morning. It is never advised because it doesn’t support the natural curve of your spine, instead, it leads to overarching which often results in waking up with lower backache.

This position of sleep may restrict oxygen consumption during the night. Although, it can reduce snoring as opposed to sleeping on one’s back and keep the upper airways more open. 

Sleeping on your stomach pushes your belly down, hurts the spine’s curvature, and forces your head to turn at an angle of 90 degrees, which ends up straining your neck. Also, it leads the neck to twist to one side that forces the spine out of alignment, often causing pinched nerves and further backaches. The next morning, you may wake up with a pain in your neck — ouch.

Tips on Sleeping On Your Stomach

If you’re uncomfortable sleeping on your stomach, you can try placing a pillow beneath one side of your pelvis. While it decreases the compression on the arch of your lower back, positioning the pillow there should at least partially correct the improper spinal alignment. If you want to try this position, start trading your fat pillows and opt for thinner and firmer ones. Moreover, sleeping on your stomach should be avoided for those who suffer from neck or back pain. 

Keep in Mind

While there are a lot of sleeping positions, experts agree that you should stick with whatever sleeping habits work best for you. But, that said, it seems to be the healthiest technique to sleep on your back, followed by your left, then your right. If you can, just attempt not to sleep on your stomach.

Whether you’re sleeping on your side, back or stomach, if you’re waking up feeling relaxed and pain-free, there’s likely no reason to break your practice. But if you have any of the problems listed here, experimenting with something fresh might be a nice idea.