The need to sleep well is essential in our daily life. The position we adopt to sleep greatly influences how we feel when we wake up, whether we are rested or have pain in some area, at that moment when we wake up, at work, or when we return home.
We must give it importance and do it in a healthy way to avoid future injuries. Those bad postures that we adopt when sleeping have a negative impact. We must heed the advice of health professionals.
When we talk about postural ergonomics during sleep, we refer to the need to adopt a healthy posture when we sleep. Indeed, correcting the sleeping posture of a person who has been adopting it for so long is difficult to change, even so, we can look for things to improve that position and in that way improve the quality of sleep and rest.
When choosing a sleeping position there are several types and each of them has its disadvantages and benefits. We are going to review all these positions and we will see which one is the best.
Sleeping on your back:
If we decide to sleep on our back, we should use a pillow for our head that is preferably a little hard, not completely flat, but that adapts to our head so that it does not sink and thus maintains good alignment with the entire spine.
It is true that in this position there is the possibility that our back may arch more depending on our lumbar lordosis. To avoid this exacerbation of the lumbar curvature, we can put a large pillow or cushion under our knees, in such a way that it raises our legs and thus flattens the lumbar spine and maintains that neutral line of the entire spine.
Sleeping on your side:
This is considered the best sleeping position, preferably on the left side because the spine is kept completely aligned and in a neutral position at all times. It is advisable to use a pillow between our thighs that allows us to maintain that neutral posture of the lumbar spine and pelvis. It should preferably be a little thicker, in the form of a cylinder that adapts well to our legs. In addition to the pillow for the head, as we have already mentioned before, it should be a little hard but it adjusts to the weight of our head.
Sleeping face down:
It is considered the worst position to sleep. The spine does not rest, it is suspended in the air. In addition, the rib cage does not expand well due to the pressure exerted by the mattress, sometimes leading to a lack of air. In this position, we need to rotate the neck excessively to one side to breathe and we put tension on the entire cervical spine.
This is the worst of all for all the reasons stated above, although it is true that it is difficult to change these habits. We can help make this sleeping position a little healthier.
The correct way to sleep with a pillow
Expert physiotherapists indicate that the choice of pillow depends on your posture during sleep and that it should be able to "keep the cervical spine in a neutral position." For back sleepers, a pillow of medium thickness is recommended; If you sleep on your side, it is best to use a thick pillow and for those who do it face down, they recommend a very thin pillow or without one at all.
The worst sleeping position:
We have already pointed out some of the drawbacks of lying on your stomach to sleep, which makes it considered the worst position. As the spine does not rest when suspended and the rib cage does not open, this position causes us to continually rotate the neck and trunk, which can lead to tendonitis, low back pain, or neck pain.
It is also not recommended for pregnant women, due to the pressure exerted on the uterus, and it also favors the appearance of facial wrinkles, since the face hits the pillow or mattress.
One way to make this position somewhat healthier is to place a small pillow under your abdomen to elevate your lower back and rib cage a little.
What is better to sleep on your back or stomach?
Sleeping on your back is good for the cervical spine, promotes breathing, and improves wrinkles, since the skin of the face does not come into contact with the bed textiles. However, we have already pointed out that it is the worst position for apnea and that it can worsen back pain. However, doing it upside down is less advisable. With the body in a prone position the spine is suspended in the air and the rib cage does not expand well. This sometimes results in shortness of breath and the need to rotate our neck to one side to be able to breathe, which puts stress on the cervical spine.
The important thing when going to sleep is to seek the correct alignment of the spine, which is achieved with posture, the mattress, and the pillow. There are many ways to position yourself during sleep (almost as many as there are people in the world), although the most common are on your back, on your stomach, and your side. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
Sleeping on your back is one of the most neutral positions, since the spine rests straight, although it is the worst position for apnea and can worsen back pain. When sleeping on your stomach, the spine is suspended in the air and the rib cage does not expand well. On your side (preferably the left side) is considered the best way to sleep.
Our recommendation:
After this explanation about sleeping positions, we can conclude that the most correct position for sleeping is on your side (preferably on the left side), then face up, and the worst is face down. Physiotherapists also take into account the sleeping position, because it can help us understand how and why some imbalances or alterations are occurring.
At ZAMATHOME.com, we give a lot of importance to people as well as to pathologies. In this case, posture during sleep is a key point that can help improve the quality of life. Therefore, if you suffer from any discomfort, or have an injury or pathology, it is important to take into account all the details that, although they may seem insignificant, are always important.
You can contact us. Any of our professionals will be happy to advise you and help you with your problem in an individual and personalized way.
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