For a majority of us, the time we spend sleeping is basically a period to rest and recover. But it might come as a shock to find out that the position you prefer sleeping in has a huge impact on your body, especially if you’ve suffered an injury. However, considering the fact that about 40% of our lives is spent in bed, this fact isn’t that surprising.
Your body ideally needs to be placed in a position that puts minimal stress on it while sleeping. Essentially, your muscles and joints should be resting in a neutral position. In the course of time, joints that are placed in a position that is extreme might exert pressure on neighboring structures. This often causes a feeling of stiffness during the morning hours. The following are some of our top tips for comfortable sleeping.
Back Pain
For people who suffer back pain, it might be difficult to find a comfortable position. The natural curves of the body need to be supported and maintained all through the night. The right mattress should offer support to your lower back but not make you feel like you have been sleeping on concrete throughout the night. If the mattress is too soft, then it may feel comfortable at first; however, after some time, it will allow you to sink too much, which means that the curve of the lower spine will get lost. If you constantly wake up with a stiff spine, then it can be an indication that you are sleeping on the wrong mattress. Read these Purple Mattress reviews.
For a lot of people, side sleeping helps to maintain their spine more naturally aligned than when sleeping on their back. In case you sleep on your back, then you should place a pillow beneath the knees to help maintain your lumbar curve all through the night.
Neck Pain
Although you might be attached to your pillow, it might be what causes you unnecessary neck pain. Often, the neck is usually the most vulnerable part of the human body when the sleeping position isn’t ideal. People who sleep on their side may allow their neck to fall too much to the side with a pillow that is either raised too much or having a pillow that is too low.
It is very important to have a supportive pillow to provide support to your neck when sleeping. In case you find that you are often putting your arm below your pillow while sleeping, then it is probable that your pillow is too low. When you keep your shoulder in this position throughout the night, it exerts unnecessary stress on structures present around the shoulder joint and, hence, need to be avoided.
When you sleep on your stomach and have your head turned to the side, this can lead to a plethora of issues. In case this is your favorite position, then it can be important to consult your physiotherapist in regard to strategies to enhance your sleeping position.
Hip Pain
People who sleep on their side mostly spend their nights with one leg crossing over their body. This puts additional pressure on the structures present on the hip side, for example, bursa and tendons. This might also affect the health of tissues since compression minimizes the flow of blood to the region. When the mattress is too firm, then the hip on the lower side of the body might also be compressed under the weight of your body.
By putting a pillow beneath your knee when sleeping on your side, this helps to keep your hip neutrally aligned. This could also help maintain your lower back in a neutral position throughout the night.
Talk to your physiotherapist to get more suggestions on how to enhance your sleeping position and learn if your sleeping posture is good for you.
