Sleeping positions

One of the questions that a lot of people ask me when they come into the clinic is “what is the best position to sleep in?” This leads to more questions and discussions about sleeping positions. So in this blog I will talk you through the best positions to sleep in, as well as the worst position to sleep in.

Sleeping on your back

This is one of the good positions to sleep in. You can keep your body in a good neutral position and not put too much strain on any parts of your body. Some people might find it comfortable to have a pillow under their knees, this can help to reduce extension of your lower back. When it comes to pillows you should have a pillow that allows your neck to stay in a neutral position. You don’t want your head falling back into the pillow or the pillow pushing your head up as this will put pressure onto your neck.

Sleeping on your side

This is another good position to sleep in. You can keep your body in a mostly neutral position and not put too much strain on the body. There is a bit more to this position than sleeping on your back. Firstly you need to try to sleep as much as possible on the point of your hip and shoulder. Try not to let your shoulder rotate under too much, also try to keep your knees and feet together. If you don’t do this your spine will be rotated. With your pillow you will need something a bit thicker to allow you to lie on your shoulder but still support your head and neck.

Sleeping on your stomach

This is the worst position to sleep in, there are no positives to this position. To sleep on your stomach you need to turn your head to the side so you can breathe. This will not only put your neck in a rotated position, as your body sinks into the mattress your neck will also be bent to the side and back. When sleeping on your stomach your lower back will sink into the mattress and this will cause hyperextension of your lower back. To reduce the extension on the lower back a lot of people will bend one of their legs up which will then rotate the pelvis. All of the above can lead to pain, stiffness and decreased function of many areas of the body. This is why this is the worst position to sleep in.