This Sleeping Position Could Be Ruining Your Health

When it comes to improving your health, most people think about eating right, exercising regularly, and managing stress. But one crucial, and often overlooked factor is how you sleep. You may be surprised to learn that your favourite sleeping position could be working against your body rather than helping it heal.

Back, Side, or Stomach — Does It Really Matter?

Yes, it does. The position you sleep in can impact everything from spinal alignment to digestion, breathing, and even skin health. While comfort is subjective, science shows that certain positions are objectively better, or worse, for your overall well-being.

Let’s start with the worst offender: sleeping on your stomach. This position puts strain on your neck and spine, often leading to stiffness or chronic back pain. It creates a strong rotation in the neck, extension through the spine, and can even create tension in the calf muscles. If you’re waking up with congested sinuses, aches, numbness, pins and needles or stiff ankles your sleeping position may be to blame.

So, What’s the Healthiest Way to Sleep?

Sleeping on your left side tends to be the best position for your health. Here’s why:

• It promotes better digestion by allowing gravity to assist the movement of waste through the colon.

• It helps the movement of trapped wind and burping which can be especially helpful for young children and older babies struggling with tummy gripes.

• It reduces pressure on the heart, which sits slightly to the left in your chest cavity.

• It may help reduce acid reflux and snoring, making it a good choice for people with sleep apnoea.

That said, back sleeping can also be beneficial, especially for spinal alignment or for those with hip or shoulder pain, but it’s not ideal for people who snore or suffer from sleep apnoea.

Small Changes, Big Impact

If you’ve been sleeping in an unhealthy position for years, don’t worry. You can gradually train your body to adopt a better posture during sleep. Use pillows to support your hips, back, or neck depending on your needs. A body pillow can also help side sleepers stay aligned, and a pillow between the knees can help keep the hips and pelvis aligned.

As well as sleep position, these other factors will also improve your sleep quality:

·      Consistent sleep/wake times, even at weekends, eg 10pm-7am

·      Viewing bright early morning sunlight

·      Viewing golden evening sunlight, try to watch the sunset

·      Avoid late eating, artificial bright lights and screens after 8pm

·      A warm bath or shower 2 hours before bed to encourage the body to start to lose heat, as a cooler body temperature is a stimulus to sleep

·      Wind down with a 3 minute breathing practice to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest). Visit the Video Guides on the website to learn how to breath into your diaphragm to help deepen your breath and feel relaxed.

If you find yourself fighting with your pillows every night and just can’t seem to find a comfortable one, we now have the Groove Pillow in the practice for you to try, and a discount code to use if you like it! Just ask us.

How you sleep matters. If you’re dealing with unexplained discomfort or fatigue, slow healing, weak immune system, food cravings or hormonal disruption, your sleep quality might be the hidden culprit.

Emma Wightan
www.the-sop.com