Most of us have a laid back attitude when it comes to painting a picture of ourselves. It is a habit that becomes our second nature. But the way you sleep can cause pain and be more damaging to your spine.
Sleeping in the wrong position can affect the quality of your sleep and cause back and spine problems. This means that even if you get the recommended eight hours of sleep, you’ll still feel worse than you did the night before.
Experts say that sleeping on your stomach is the worst position for the spine
Sleeping on your stomach can cause serious damage.. It causes the back to arch uncomfortably, putting extra stress on the spine. Sleeping on your back also causes your neck to twist uncomfortably, which can cause neck and upper back pain.
Doctors recommend sleeping on your back.
Marleen Caldwell, a physical therapist at the Cleveland Clinic, says that sleeping on your back allows weight to be distributed evenly throughout your body, rather than falling on one or two specific pressure points. Caldwell says that keeping your back in a neutral position is essential if you want pain relief.
There are many additional benefits of sleeping on your back. this position reduces tension headaches and relieves sinus pain and pressure. It can also make us look younger for longer, because sleeping on your back means you’re not resting your face on a pillow, which will eventually cause wrinkles.
Sleeping on your side is also preferable to sleeping on your stomach.
Side sleeping has its pros and cons. Initially, it was found Helps reduce back and joint pain. But depending on your body type, sleeping on your side can also put extra stress on your hips and spine.
If you have particularly wide hips, it helps to place a pillow between your knees when you sleep.
The goal, regardless of the position you sleep in, is to reduce pressure on your spine and hips by placing your body in as neutral a position as possible.
If you can’t avoid sleeping on your back, you can at least reduce the pressure on your spine.
If you’ve tried sleeping in other positions, but can’t make the transition, using a thin head pillow is suggested if you sleep on your back. You can also offset back strain by placing a pillow under your pelvis.