Do you have trouble falling asleep at night?
Are you having difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position?
Do you get woke up in the middle of the night or wake up feeling like you didn't sleep well?
If so, this blog post is for you! This article will help find what sleeping position might be best for your body. No matter what kind of sleeper you are, there is an option that will work for everyone.
Sleeping on Your Back
The most common sleeping position is to sleep on your back.
This position can be a little awkward because you may need pillows under your head and shoulders, but it still provides the most comfort for many people.
The benefits of this are that there is less strain put on the neck muscles during this sleep posture so if someone suffers from chronic neck pain, this is the best option for them.
It also allows space in your chest to expand and breathe easier since you are not limited on what side you can sleep on.
If you're a back sleeper, you'll probably feel the best on a firm mattress that has a proper alignment of your spine so that you don't wake up with back pain.
If you are a back sleeper, try using an extra-large pillow to put your head on. This will provide support for your neck and shoulders so you wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.
Sleeping on Your Side
The next most common position is sleeping on your side.
This position is especially good for those that suffer from sleep apnea or snoring because it keeps the airways open and breathing easy.
This also helps to prevent what is called “sleep paralysis”.
This refers to the temporary inability to move or speak while you are asleep. Your muscles relax and go into what is called REM sleep, which prevents you from moving or speaking.
This position also allows for the most space to stretch out when sleeping in what is often referred to as the fetal position.
Side sleepers will prefer a mattress that is softer and has more give. This allows you to move easily when changing positions in what can often be a restless sleep.
If you are a side sleeper, use an extra-large pillow to support your neck.
This will also help you avoid what is called “sleep head” which is what happens when you sleep on your side and end up waking up with an unusual position of the neck.
Sleeping on Your Stomach
The least common position is what is called stomach sleeping.
This sleeping posture will provide you with a lot of space and movement for your arms and legs, but it can make turning over at night difficult and what is called “sleep paralysis” is more common for those that sleep in this position.
This also can cause snore more.
When you sleep on your stomach, all of the airways in the throat are blocked, and snoring is what happens when these airways are blocked and the person cannot breathe normally anymore.
Stomach sleepers will prefer a soft mattress that has good give so that you can move around a lot during what is often called “restless sleep.”
Finding Your Best Sleeping Position
If you're unsure what position is best for your body, then try them all and see what works!
You can do a test run of what amount of time you want to sleep in what position and see what is best for your body.
It might take a little trial and error, but it will be worth it to find what is best for you.
You can try what we call a “sleep test.” This is what you do before going to bed for about an hour.
Set your alarm and set it to what time you want to wake up.
Spend what time you selected in what position and see what is best for your body.
Your best sleeping position might be what you expected, or it might be something different.
Conclusion
Which of these positions do you think is yours?
If the answer isn't clear, try a test run with each one to see which feels most comfortable or helps you sleep better.
There are plenty of resources online that can help determine your ideal position based on what type of sleeper you are and what other factors might be affecting how well you sleep at night.
Regardless, it's worth taking some time to explore all options so that when bedtime rolls around, there will be no more tossing and turning as we search for our favorite way to get ZZZ's!