Many people wonder “What is the best sleeping position?”
For a definitive answer, we turned to the experts. In January of 2014, Consumer Reports published an article written by Doug Podolsky that focused on this subject. Below is that exact article that describes all of the different sleeping positions as well as their value.
Is it better to sleep on your back, belly, or side?
That depends on whether you snore, or have heartburn, back, hip, knee, neck, or shoulder problems
- All that really matters is that you find one that’s comfortable and fully supports your body without creating pressure points, says Arya Nick Shamie, M.D., chief of orthopedic spine surgery at the University of California Los Angeles in Santa Monica. (See our new mattress Ratings to find a mattress that’s right for you.
Back pain: Sleep on your back or side
- That’s generally recommended for people who have back pain, according to a recent article in Applied Ergonomics.
- When on your back, keep your spine aligned by placing a small pillow under your head and a pillow or a firm foam wedge under your knees to maintain the natural curve of your lower back.
- If on your side, draw your knees up and lay a pillow lengthwise between your legs to prevent the inner side of the knees from hitting each other, which can be uncomfortable.
Neck pain: Sleep on your back or side
- When on your back, support the natural curve of your neck with a rounded neck pillow, and place a flat pillow beneath your head, according to research at Harvard Medical School.
- When on your side, keep your spine straight by using a pillow that’s higher under your neck than your head.
Shoulder pain: Sleep on your back or unaffected side
- When on your back, place a small pillow beneath your injured shoulder. When on your unaffected side, hug a pillow (or a friend).
Hip pain: Sleep on the unaffected side
- Draw your knees up and lay a pillow between your legs to keep your hips aligned and to prevent your knees from touching.
Knee pain: Sleep on your back or side
- When on your back, place a pillow behind your knees. When on your side, keep your knee in a comfortable, flexed position.
Heartburn: Sleep on your left side
- Heartburn is caused when the ring of muscle at the top of your stomach doesn’t fully close, allowing caustic stomach acid to leak back into your esophagus.
- That’s particularly likely when you lie down after a big meal, which is why heartburn symptoms are often worse at night and why it often interferes with sleep.
- Lying on your left side positions the esophagus in such a way that it makes it harder for the acid to escape the stomach. It can also help to elevate the upper half of your body by placing 4- to 6-inch blocks under the head of the bed, or by putting a wedge-shaped support under the mattress.
- Don’t use extra pillows under your head since that doesn’t re-position your stomach or esophagus, but can cause a stiff neck.
Snoring: Sleep on either side
- Try sleeping on one side or the other, not your back.
- Your throat muscles relax when you sleep on your back, and your tongue can fall backward.
- That narrows your throat, which gives your breathing the characteristic snoring sound.
- This simple sleep position trick could help control sleep apnea, a severe form of snoring in which the airway can become partially or fully blocked when sleeping on your back.
- As a result, your blood oxygen level can drop, causing the release of stress hormones that increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
—Doug Podolsky
Now that we have informed you, Vero Linens is ready to supply you with all the fine bed linens you need for a luxurious night of sleep. Choose from our selection of down and feather sleeping pillows, sateen duvet covers, goose down comforters and much more. When you are ready to go to bed with luxury linens, contact the professionals at Vero Linens.
