When it comes to finishing off your day with a good night’s sleep, it’s likely that the only two things on your list are to be comfy and to let your mind rest. Everyone has their own way of tucking themselves into bed and achieving peak comfiness to sleep soundly. But, have you ever considered the impact that your preferred sleeping position can have on the quality of your sleep? Are there any perks to different kinds of positions, and can one be crowned as the best? Today (or rather, tonight) we settle this.
Given that the average human spends around 228 thousand hours asleep during their lifetime, it’s not a stretch to say that optimizing the quality of your sleep is a worthwhile investment. There are three main types of sleeping positions: on your side (including left and right), on your back, and on your stomach. Now for the fun part, let’s break down the different benefits and drawbacks to each.
Starting off, there’s the side sleeping category. Choosing this position can keep your spine aligned which can help with neck and back pain, and might even help with sleep apnea by promoting an open airway. If you struggle with heartburn during the night, then sleeping on your left side as opposed to your right side could ease the symptoms a bit because of how your esophagus is positioned relative to your stomach. Downsides to sleeping on your side can include hip and shoulder pain, a stiff neck and back, or general aches in the pressure points that support the body in a side sleeping position. It can happen if the way your body dips into the mattress and the way your neck is supported by your pillow doesn’t favour spinal alignment. All in all, sleeping on your side is a solid way to ensure a good night’s rest if you feel comfortable in this position!
Next we have the back sleeping positions. Aside from keeping your back and neck straight, choosing this position spreads the pressure evenly throughout the body avoiding putting more stress on certain areas. You can also place pillows in places where you want more support: some people opt to place one beneath their knees, others in their lower back, or even around them to sleep in a pillow cocoon. By sleeping on your back, your face does not push against the pillow and as such it may help reduce wrinkles on your face over time! That one was surprising, even for me. However, the most common drawbacks to sleeping on your back are a higher propensity for sleep apnea and acid reflux. Everybody is different, so if sleeping on your back feels uncomfortable, that’s plenty of reason to find another pose.
Lastly, there’s sleeping on your stomach. This is the least common category of sleeping positions, as approximately only 12 per cent of adults sleep on their stomachs. This position can offer a greater sense of comfort and protection for some, which can help in the process of falling asleep. Laying on your stomach can also help with breathing issues because of the way your lungs rest in this position — they inflate and deflate with more ease. However, this is the sleeping position with the most adversities. It has the worst spinal alignment overall, it can have various pressure points that can lead to neck, shoulder, and back strain, and can lead to more facial wrinkles. This also happens to be the sleeping position I personally prefer. Chat, am I cooked?
My final verdict: sleeping on your side is probably the best idea in general. It offers the most benefits with the least drawbacks, and most adults — more than 60 per cent — find it comfortable and reliable. What matters here is that you find what works best for your body, what makes you the most comfortable, and what supports your back the best. Even if I sleep on my stomach, I put in the work to find a firm mattress suited for it, and an ultra thin memory foam pillow to adequately support my neck. Let me tell you, it’s hands down the best purchase I’ve made in a while. Make sure you are paying attention to your body and finding the sleeping position that works best for you. Tonight, we crown side sleeping as the king of sleeping positions, but do not let that discourage you from sleeping in the pose you like the most!
