What’s the best position to sleep?
Here you are in your bed, comfortably settled, ready to sleep in your favorite position. Have you ever wonder what your sleeping position will affect your health? Indeed, if your favorite sleeping position allows you to wake up on the best foot, all these positions are not equal and their effects are varied, whether positive or negative. Here are the details of the advantages and disadvantages of the main sleeping positions:
Sleeping on my stomach
The position: Flat on the pillow, head on the side on the pillow, arms raised or extended along the body like a big baby.
Benefits: Apart from the comfort that some people find, the sleeping position on the stomach would have no benefit according to doctors.
Disadvantages: When you’re on your stomach, head aside, your neck suffers a constant twist, and your spine drops because it’s not supported, compressing your internal organs.
In short: Snoring, poor breathing, digestion made difficult, neck and back pain… You will face many risks of discomfort while sleeping on your stomach.
Sleeping on the side
The position: Lie on the left or right side, folded or extended legs, arms extended along the body or bent in front of you.
Benefits: Sleeping on the right side allows to release the liver and relieve it. On the other hand, sleeping on the left side promotes digestion by freeing the stomach from the weight of the liver. Sleeping on the left side also helps promote blood circulation and reduce snoring.
Disadvantages: Sleeping on the side places the body weight on the shoulder and hip on the chosen side, which makes them fragile. If the pillow is not thick enough, the neck may also hurt.
In short: The position on the side has several advantages and we can avoid these inconvenience by changing sides regularly (which is done during sleep because we move naturally when we sleep). Note that doctors also recommend pregnant women to sleep on their left side.
Sleeping on the back
The position: On the back, straight, arms along the body, folded onto the chest or raised and under the pillow.
Benefits: The lying position on the back is considered to be the best sleeping position by doctors. It promotes breathing and keeps the right shape of back, neck, joints and muscles.
Disadvantages: If sleeping on your back has many advantages, it unfortunately promotes snoring. This position is also to be avoided if you are subject to sleep apnea.
In short: Unless you have breathing problems, lying on your back is definitely the best position to sleep.
Sleeping in a fetal position
The position: Dimensions on yourself, both legs bent and lifts and arms curled on the chest, head down.
Benefits: As with the flat-stomach sleep position, the benefits seem non-existent, except maybe from a psychological point of view. After all, getting into a fetal position helps to feel safe right?
Disadvantages: In this position, the chest is compressed, which prevents breathing properly. Also, the round back and completely bent limbs will eventually promote joint pain.
In short: You will have figured it out, sleeping in a fetal position mine your joints and breathing. So even if it’s comfortable and reassuring, avoid taking this posture too often to sleep.
Sleeping with a couple
The position: With your half with you in bed, you may not sleep the same way as when you are alone. Sleeping in each other’s arms is indeed tempting.
Benefits: Of course, sleeping with the person you care is especially pleasant and comforting, and the benefits exist from a psychological point of view.
Disadvantages: Sleeping with each other necessarily means that arms or legs will end up being squeezed and someone will end up hindered. Bad traffic and bad breath may be watching.
In short: If you sleep with two, it’s better to choose the solution to sleep each on their side of the bed after getting tired!
Now you know everything about the position you take while sleeping! If you want to change your sleeping position and have trouble finding sleep, help yourself with valerian and passionflower to find a natural and restorative sleep with your new sleep posture!