The Best Sleeping Position for a Healthier Night's Rest

Getting a good night's sleep is essential for overall health and wellbeing. But if you're not sleeping in the right position, you could be missing out on the restorative benefits of sleep. According to sleep experts, your preferred sleeping position could cause back and neck pain, tummy problems and even premature wrinkles. Lateral posture is recommended by doctors and sleep specialists because it has a number of benefits.

Research indicates that it is possible to reduce back and shoulder pain and discomfort and increase sleep quality by modifying sleep posture. People with sleep apnea experience lighter sleep and shallower sleep compared to people without apnea. If you snore, but still want to sleep on your back, try stacking some pillows under your head to reduce the risk of snoring. It may seem comfortable when you curl up in bed, but sleeping on your stomach can cause pain in your lower back and neck.

However, patients with heart failure instinctively avoid the left-sided position during sleep, possibly to avoid discomfort and shortness of breath. Sleeping on their backs can make snoring worse, but for fewer people who snore, sleeping on their backs helps them feel more rested the next day. However, if you think a new position might make sleeping more comfortable for you, go ahead and try another position. In any of these sleeping positions, it is easier to keep the spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure on the tissues of the spine and allows the muscles to relax and recover.

It can disrupt sleep and cause thickening and problems with the carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain, face and neck. In the front sleeping position, sleeping with a flat pillow under your pelvis and stomach can help keep your spine aligned. One study found that 50% of patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and 19% with moderate obstructive sleep apnea saw a 50% reduction in sleep apnea events when sleeping in a non-supine position. But if you are among the 50 to 70 million American adults who suffer from sleep or wake disorders, you are very familiar with this nighttime routine. So if you're looking for a healthier night's rest, consider switching up your sleeping position. Lateral posture is recommended by doctors and sleep specialists because it has a number of benefits that can help improve your overall health.