Sleep is not just a time of rest, but also an important process of restoring our body. The right sleeping position can significantly affect the quality of your rest and overall well-being. In this article, we will look at several useful poses for a night’s sleep and their impact on health. Is there an ideal sleeping position?

Each person has their own way: someone gets better sleep on their back, and for someone the best position in a dream is “nose in the pillow.” Small children easily fall asleep “where they are tired”, and girls are often ready to neglect comfort for the sake of a “fresh” face, and they can sleep even sitting down. And yet, there are recommendations from experts about sleep. Sleep issues (and its disorders) are usually dealt with by somnologists, this is a narrower field of neurology. We will rely on their opinion in the article.

Full sleep is the basis of life It is important not only the number of hours in the “embrace of Morpheus”, but also the position of the body during sleep, the comfort of the bed, the quality of the bedding and even the temperature in the room. We highly recommend choosing a comfortable mattress: orthopedic or anatomical options are the best. The pillow also plays an important role. You need to “look for” your own until you feel the maximum relaxation of the body in the supine position. Too high or low a pillow leads to neck and shoulder tension in sleep. It is unlikely that you specifically come up with sleeping positions when you go to bed. Everything happens intuitively, and more often this is the position of the body in which a person falls asleep faster. Later, the body chooses a comfortable position on its own, we usually do not realize this.

The choice of sleeping position usually depends on the age, build and weight of the person. Preference is given to the position of the body in which we reach the rapid phase of sleep in the shortest possible time. Of course, each phase of sleep is very important, but it is the fast phase that restores strength. The condition in the morning depends on its quality.

The position in the dream affects the state in which you wake up. If you feel refreshed and rested in the morning and do not feel discomfort in your body, then the position in which you slept is suitable for you. Conversely, lethargy and constant back pain may indicate that you most likely need to change your body position during sleep. It is not easy to do this, but it is quite possible. On the Internet, they often write about special useful poses, but there is no “utility rating” of poses.

Your body chooses the position itself, and you should change it (retrain to sleep differently) only if you wake up broken. Advantages and disadvantages of specific sleeping positions A healthy person can choose any sleeping position. Just because you won’t sleep in it for a long time. During the night, a person turns over about five to ten times, every hour and a half. It is ok. The body tells you that at some point it became uncomfortable to lie down and you need to change the position of the body.

1. On the back

The best and most familiar sleeping position for a person. It is believed that it is in this position that the body relaxes as much as possible, and the spine and muscles rest. It is also believed that this pose helps prevent acid from being thrown from the stomach into the esophagus, especially if you use a pillow to support your head. Sleeping on your back is ideal for women who are afraid to see “creases” on their face in the morning (they come from contact with the pillow and eventually lead to the formation of wrinkles). There is a caveat: sleeping on your back is contraindicated for people who are overweight and prone to snoring. The position on the back can provoke apnea (stopping breathing during sleep).

2. On the side

Another common position during sleep. It does not provoke snoring and reduces the load on the lower back (which is why this position is most often recommended for pregnant women). Usually people don’t care which side to sleep on, but some people think that lying on the left side is bad for the heart. There is an opinion that this is a myth. There is a caveat: the sleeping position on the side is very sensitive to … a pillow. The correct pillow corresponds to the width of your shoulder (you need your head to be approximately at the same level with your back). Also, when posing on the side, the load on the shoulders and hips is increased: long sleep in this position can lead to discomfort in the joints.

3. In the fetal position

It resembles the position of the child in the mother’s stomach: on its side, knees bent and pressed against the stomach. Children in this position feel as safe as possible, and adults relax faster and easier and fall asleep. For an adult, this position is often associated with a sense of security and comfort, which can contribute to deeper sleep. As with sleeping on your side, this position helps reduce the likelihood of snoring. There is a caveat: if you sleep in this position for a long time, back and hip pain may appear due to the strongly twisted position.

4. On the stomach

This pose can help reduce snoring, as it opens up the airway. However, there are also negative consequences of sleeping in this position. During sleep, the spine should maintain an even shape, and the “belly” position makes us bend in a variety of places. Most of the load is felt in the neck and lower back. In this case, an orthopedic mattress and an anatomical pillow do not help. If you are a big fan of sleeping on your stomach, try to sleep without a pillow at all, otherwise your neck will bend in two projections — sideways and backwards. It is also useful to do exercises during the day with turning the head to the right and left and performing rotational movements with the body. This way, the spine and muscles will basically get used to turns, because while sleeping on your stomach you load it with unnatural bends instead of resting. In this position, the vessels of the neck can also be squeezed, which means that the brain is not adequately supplied with oxygen. Hence this feeling of “being broken” in the morning.

5. Sleeping in a sitting position

Sometimes people have to sleep sitting up. Most often this happens in a car, trains, planes or on long-distance bus trips. If it’s a one—time trip, there won’t be much harm. But we must remember that even the most comfortable chair cannot replace a full sleep in a horizontal position. When you sleep sitting down, your legs remain in an upright position and are motionless for a long time, and this provokes stagnation of lymph and circulatory disorders. The maximum amount of sleep in a sitting position is no more than four hours. After that, it is necessary to “stretch your legs”. In order for sleep to be as deep as possible in these difficult conditions, drink or eat something sweet, put a thick mask over your eyes, insert earplugs into your ears, take off your shoes, warn you not to be disturbed and try to relax. If you know that you have to sleep on the way, take something from home that is associated with sleep. For example, a bag with some kind of fragrance. Use a special pillow that is attached to the neck.

6. Sleep for expectant mothers

For expectant mothers — hugging a pillow. It is clear that pregnant women cannot sleep on their stomachs. Contrary to popular belief, the back position is not ideal for them either. Therefore, it is best to lie on your side and use a special “hug pillow”, on which you can put both your arm and leg at the same time – and relax. Such a pillow helped me a lot during pregnancy, I found out about its existence quite by accident. It allowed me to have a better rest during a difficult period for my body.

How do I choose the perfect pose?

1. Listen to your body: It is important to understand which position is comfortable for you. Experiment with different options and choose the one that brings the most relief.

2. Use pillows: Pillows can help support your body in the right position. For example, a pillow between the knees when sleeping on the side can reduce the load on the lower back.

3. Pay attention to the mattress: A quality mattress that supports your back and provides comfort also plays an important role in sleep quality.

4. Change your position regularly: If you wake up with discomfort, try changing your position during sleep. This will help to avoid overstrain of the muscles.

How to switch to a new sleeping position.

It is quite difficult to develop a new habit, you will have to make an effort: Change the side of the bed — so it will be more difficult for the body to return to its usual position. Close the windows, put down your phone and other gadgets. It is best to adjust to a comfortable sleep in silence and coolness. Choose a comfortable and high-quality mattress, pillow and sleep accessories that will help you relax and fall asleep in an unusual position.

Falling asleep in the right position and waking up in it is a big difference. What about at night, when you can no longer control yourself? Alternatively, you can resort to special devices. Now there are many devices on the market that help you to take the right sleeping position. The simplest ones include, for example, small backpacks that will not allow you to turn on your back. The more advanced ones include straps: they synchronize with the mobile application and at a certain time begin to vibrate, forcing you to change your posture. For those who are prone to snoring, but who love to sleep on their backs, there is a special mat that inflates at the right moment and lifts a person’s head.

Choosing a mattress and pillow for proper sleep Pillow — buy for the “basic” pose For different poses, there are optimal pillow options that help maintain the spine in the correct position. If you know your own, buy a pillow with an eye to this particular situation. If you don’t know how you sleep most often, take a universal pillow.

The rules are as follows: If you are used to sleeping on your back, your head should be slightly higher than your body. If on the stomach, on the contrary, as low as possible. Pillows should also be selected in the appropriate size. While sleeping on the side, the spine should be positioned parallel to the bed, you need to try to avoid “dips” and curvatures along its entire length. To do this, you need to keep your head at the right level.

Choose a pillow whose height is approximately equal to the length of the shoulder. A good option is to put a pillow between your legs in the knee area during sleep, this will improve blood circulation. This way you won’t wake up with a tingling sensation in your limbs. By the way, the same pillow will help you get comfortable for reading or watching a movie in bed (put it along the headboard under the lower back). If your hands often become numb and numb during sleep, you can purchase a pillow with a special hole. By the way, it is also suitable for couples if one of the partners is used to falling asleep on the other’s hand.

Tip: pillows are advised to be tested in the store, but, alas, no one will allow you to sleep in the store. If you doubt the rigidity of the pillow, choose options with an adjustable filler (the cover is unbuttoned, you can remove the excess).

Mattress — choose by weight The more a person weighs, the tougher the mattress they sleep on should be. Moreover, “stiffness” is a characteristic of the filler layers, I am not the top layer of comfort (it can just be gentle and soft). In conclusion, a few tips from well-known somnologist doctors for those who cannot fall asleep quickly. It is believed that a heavy blanket helps you fall asleep faster. It is heavy, not hot.

Psychologists believe that such a blanket creates a feeling of calm and comfort, because we relax faster and fall asleep. You do not need to drink coffee and tea before going to bed, exercise, take very hot baths or contrast showers. If tea is better, it is soothing on herbs, and let the shower be slightly cool, it helps to fall asleep. Two hours before bedtime, try not to use smartphones and tablets: the blue and white light of the screens only excites the nervous system. In today’s realities, this is difficult to do, but gradually increasing the “quiet time” every day for 5-10 minutes, you will get used to it. And also, to stop the running of thoughts and the analysis of the day, try to focus your attention on two actions: inhale and exhale. At the same time, we mentally say “inhale” on the inhale, and “exhale” on the exhale. This usually helps you fall asleep faster. Proper sleeping posture is an important aspect of health and well—being. Try different options and find what is right for you.

Remember that good sleep quality is directly related to your physical condition and mood. Take care of yourself and enjoy a healthy sleep!