What’s the Best Sleep Position?
Ever wondered what the best sleep position is?
As an RMT, I am asked this question quite often. Many people come in for a massage when they wake up feeling more pain than they did when they went to bed. Although sleep position may not be the only factor involved, it can contribute to back and neck pain. Changing your sleep position might help to manage these types of pain. What’s the best sleep position for people with back or neck pain? Should you switch to a different sleep position? As with most things in life, there is no one correct answer for everyone. Let’s start by going through the various types of sleep positions, their pros and cons, and ways to adjust these positions to get the most out of them.
Lying on your Back
PROS: keeps pressure off the joints, helps keep the spine aligned (which may sometimes alleviate lower back pain), can also help with knee or hip pain
CONS: not good for people with sleep apnea or snoring problems
TRY IT: Placing a pillow under your knees can further help with spinal alignment in the lower back
Side Sleeping
PROS: can help reduce back and neck pain; good for pregnancy, especially in the last trimester (lying on the left side is better: it helps with blood flow and keeps the organs from getting compressed), may reduce snoring and acid reflux
CONS: may cause jaw tension on the side you sleep on and may cause stiffness in the shoulders
TRY IT: Placing a pillow between the knees can help keep the hips in alignment; experiment with different pillows for the head to see what works best to keep your neck aligned
Fetal Position (lying on your side with legs tucked in towards body)
PROS: can be good for pregnancy or lower back pain, may minimize snoring
CONS: could increase joint stiffness and decrease deep breathing if you hold yourself too tightly in this position
TRY IT: Keep yourself relatively loose so you are not too tightly curled up; adding a pillow between the legs can make it more comfortable
Lying on your Stomach
PROS: may be the most naturally comfortable position
CONS: can put a strain on the neck and/or back
TRY IT: Try different head pillows to help keep strain out of the neck; try a pillow under the hips to take strain off of the lower back
So, if you are consistently waking up feeling sore and you suspect it could be how you sleep, you could try changing your position to see if it helps. But be aware, most people tend to move in their sleep about twice every hour, and taking on a new position than what your body naturally chooses could disrupt your ability to fall asleep. It could take some time and you may have to train yourself. Another option, especially if the idea of abandoning your most comfortable sleep pose is not something that sounds appealing to you, you could try modifying your favorite position.
The most important thing when we sleep is that we get the rest our body needs to restore and repair itself. If changing your sleep position prevents that, then it may not be worth playing around with how you are lying in bed. On the other hand, a shift in the way you sleep could alleviate some of your neck and/or back pain. Everyone is different, so always do what feels right for you.
REFERENCES
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/choosing-the-best-sleep-position
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-sleeping-position#on-your-side
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-what-is-the-best-sleeping-position/
https://elemental.medium.com/can-you-train-yourself-to-sleep-in-a-different-position-de7f4f453d05