Did you know that in 2016, an estimated 20.4% of U.S. adults suffered from chronic pain?
That is almost 50 million people.
Although there can be a myriad number of reasons for the causes of the pain one thing is clear, how you sleep plays an important role in dealing with the pain you experience every day.
In this post, we’ll cover some of the most common sleeping positions and uncover helpful tips that can help you to train yourself into a better sleeping position.
Common Sleeping Positions
So, how do you sleep?
Most people are naturally side-sleepers. Although you may not feel any pain while sleeping in this position, it’s really not the best way to sleep.
As per the New York Times, side sleeping may aggravate heartburn and increase wrinkles as half your face squeezes against the pillow for so many hours each night.
The next position that many people find comfort in, is the fetal position where you’re literally sleeping curled up like a baby in the womb.
However, because of this curled position you put a whole lot of added strain on your back and neck.
This also prevents you from breathing properly, as your diaphragm is constrained in this position. And just like sleeping on your side, you also risk getting premature facial wrinkles.
What’s worse than sleeping on your side or sleeping in a fetal position? Sported by 7% of adults, sleeping on your stomach is practically bad for everything, except perhaps to ease snoring.
Stomach sleeping prevents the spine from being in a neutral position and suppresses the natural curvature of the spine. Constantly sleeping on your stomach can lead to back pain, neck pain and put pressure on the joints, muscles, and organs.
If you’re pregnant this position is an absolute no-no, even earlier in the pregnancy.
The added weight in the mid-body puts more pressure on the spine and can lead to severe back pain — and it goes without saying how bad this could be for the baby.
Most sleep experts will tell you that sleeping on your back has amazing health benefits and for good reason.
The most crucial benefit being the ideal alignment of the spine, with other added benefits such as reducing heartburn and acid reflux, alleviating sinus and headaches, and preventing wrinkles and maintaining a youthful glow on your face.
Transitioning into a Better Sleep Position
If you’re tired of back and neck pain and waking up with body aches, it might be time to switch to a better sleeping position.
Training yourself into a better sleeping position requires more than just getting into bed, lying on your back, expecting to get the best sleep of your life and waking up pain-free.
There are many other factors including your bed, pillow position and sleep environment that all come into play to contribute to a good night’s rest.
Below, we’ll share a few tips to help you to sleep on your back, which is one of the recommended better sleeping positions.
1. Invest in a quality mattress
It goes without saying that a comfortable mattress is critical to getting a good night’s sleep, no matter what position you find most comfortable sleeping in.
Ideally, to support back sleeping, your mattress should not be too soft, which can cause your spine to curve. You’ll end up with lower back pain and sore, tense muscles.
The best thing to do is to find a mattress that is medium firm, yet comfortable to best support your back.
2. Choose the right pillow
When training yourself into a better sleeping position, it’s also important to choose the right pillow.
The idea is to elevate your head into a position that is slightly raised, not too high and not too low, which can create an improper alignment.
For extra support, you may want to add pillows under your arms as well.
The important thing is to make sure is that your head is not over-elevated as this will make all your efforts of sleeping on your back worse.
Some people find rolling up a towel and placing it under the neck actually helps to keep the neck aligned and the face straight (to prevent the risk of wrinkles), and can even help eliminate headaches.
3. Support your lower back
If you’re not used to sleeping on your back you may initially find that you feel some pressure or even some pain in your lower back area. One thing you can do to combat this is to put a pillow or a thick rolled-up towel below your knees.
This will take off some of the pressure on your spine and will help you feel a lot more comfortable. It’ll also prevent you from rolling over to avoid the pain.
You might also benefit to do some light stretching before you hit the bed. Most of us now work for long hours on a desk job, so having tight muscles is fairly common.
By doing some stretches before sleeping, even if it’s just for a few minutes, you can stretch and loosen some of these muscles and alleviate feeling pain as you train yourself for back sleeping.
4. Try the starfish position
Imagine a starfish in your head. That’s exactly what the starfish sleeping position looks like. It only takes two steps — First, lay flat on your back. Second, spread out your arms and legs, as wide as you find comfortable.
Sleeping on your back in the starfish position can be incredibly comfortable once you get used to it. Keeping your arms and legs loose and wide can relieve pressure off of your joints and muscles, as your body weight is more distributed.
The last thing you want to do when sleeping on your back is to tense up, with stiff arms and legs by your side, this is counterintuitive to what you’re trying to achieve.
One thing to remember, however, is that if you suffer from sleep apnea, this is probably not the best sleeping position for you.
5. Take it slowly but be persistent
If you’ve been a side or stomach sleeper for as long as you can remember, it goes without saying that switching to a better sleeping position is going to take some time. But, don’t get discouraged. The key is to stay persistent.
There will be nights when you just can’t get to sleep when trying to stay on your back.
However, even if you’re tossing and turning and find yourself instinctively shifting into your earlier default sleeping position, roll over onto your back and try again.
Remember, it’s important to start your night by sleeping on your back.
However, if you wake up finding that you rolled over to your side sometime in the night, don’t fret. With time, eventually, you’ll ease into the habit.
You may even find it helpful to place pillows on each side of you, to prevent you from rolling over. This is also a good cue for partners who like to cuddle that sleep time is “me” time.
Ready to train yourself into a better sleeping position?
Try our tips above which include investing in the right mattress, picking the right pillow and supporting your back — and with persistence, you’re sure to wake up fresh without any body aches or pains and get the sleep you deserve.