What’s Your Ideal Sleep Position?

Determining your most well-suited sleep position means a more rejuvenating sleep with less pain and annoyance.

Not only is sleeping important, but also what position you sleep in. Many studies

and research have been done to suggest there are preferred sleep positions that best accommodate certain conditions or maladies.

Here are some of the most common conditions many people wrestle with in an attempt to get a good night’s rest. Following these tested recommendations could greatly improve the quality of your sleep.

Shoulder Pain

Certain positions, such as sleeping on your side, can put additional stress on your shoulder because sleeping on your side causes your shoulder to bear a lot of the weight of your torso. Try sleeping on the other side and putting a pillow under your knees and another pillow between your arms.

Back Pain

Sleeping with a pillow between your knees while lying on one side may relieve stress on your back and increase comfort. Some doctors recommend lying on your back with a pillow under your knees.

Headache

Neck position plays a primary role in how you sleep and can change the way your body works during daytime. The most common way of preventing headaches is sleeping with an extra set of small pillows around your neck to prevent it from twisting.

Sinus Trouble

Sinus conditions can cause poor breathing while you sleep and increase the occurrence of sleep apnea. Try using two pillows to elevate your head and neck while sleeping on your back. This sleep position will allow the flow of breathable air while preventing sinus drainage.

High Blood Pressure

Many experts agree that sleeping on your left side or on your stomach is the best sleeping position for high blood pressure because it relieves pressure on blood vessels that return blood to the heart.

PMS Pain

Sleeping in the fetal position is one recommendation for PMS pain, and sleeping on your back with pillows under your knees is also said to work. Both take pressure off the abdominal muscles.

Neck Pain

The best positions if you have neck pain or want to avoid it are sleeping on your side or on your back. If you sleep on your stomach, you may have neck pain because your neck is turned to the side and your back is arched. Using a pillow under your knees will align your spine and relieve pressure on your neck.

Digestion Trouble

The best sleep position to aid digestion is on your left side. If you want to help your stomach breakdown that big meal you had before bed, sleep on your left side, as your stomach digests food more effectively.