Sleep better by having a good bed time routine, watching your diet, and avoiding back pain-causing mattresses. One of the best ways to make sure you get a good night’s rest is to change your sleep position. What is the best sleep position for your overall health?
Sleep is crucial for your overall health and well being. According to the National Institute of Health, you need to get enough sleep to help your body function properly. Without quality rest, you may be irritable and have a negative impact work performance. How you sleep could be influencing the quality of your rest. This is why choosing the right sleep position is so important.
According to a variety of sleep studies, it’s believed that sleeping on your back can result in a better night’s sleep, allowing your head, neck, and spine to rest in a neutral position. Sleeping on your back is “by far the healthiest option for most people”, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Sleeping on your back allows the spine, head and neck to all rest in a neutral position during your sleep, lowering risk of back pain. It’s also the best sleep position to prevent acid reflux, provided you use a pillow to elevate your head. Be sure to use a pillow that elevates and supports your head well enough as you want your stomach to be a lower elevation that your esophagus, preventing food or acid from coming up your digestive tract.
While sleeping on the back is considered the best sleeping position, only eight percent of all people sleep on their backs. The most common sleep position, the fetal position, has some benefits too. It’s been documented that individuals who sleep in the fetal position may reduce snoring and improve circulation.
Sleeping on your stomach is especially bad if you suffer from neck and shoulder pain. Although it is a very hard habit to break, try sleeping on your back or on your side in the fetal position. This may alleviate tension in your neck and shoulders by promoting normal spinal alignment while sleeping. If you are consistently waking up in more pain than when you fell asleep, it may be time for a new mattress.
Mattresses only last about 7 years. So, if your mattress is older than 7 years, it may be time to head over to your local sleep center for a new sleeping surface. If you’re not sure what type of mattress to purchase, please ask us. We have decades of experience helping people buy the correct mattress.
At Washington Wellness Center, we are here to help you get the best night’s sleep possible so that you can be at your very best all day.