People have not yet learned to cope without sleep and this is unlikely to happen in the near future. Every person definitely needs it. It’s good when your sleep is complete and long, that is, healthy. During this period, the body gains strength, the mechanisms of recovery processes are activated, and disease therapy occurs.
You can read your doctor’s advice on what position is best to sleep in here on our website. However, the position of the sleeper’s neck is also important. It depends on whether the muscle fibers can relax properly and whether the soft tissues of the larynx will not fall off.
People who snore and suffer from sleep apnea should especially monitor their neck position. Of course, today a lot of sleep accessories have been created, but the most popular, nevertheless, remains a pillow.
What does sleep position affect?
Do you often wake up in a bad mood?
Perhaps it's not you, but your mattress or incorrect sleeping position! It is enough to sit on an uncomfortable chair for half an hour for thoughts of unpleasant sensations to crowd out all other thoughts from your head. Now remember that we spend about 8 hours a day sleeping, and if all this time the body is in the wrong position, this can cause significant harm to the body. What specifically affects sleep position:
- blood supply to organs, including the brain;
- digestion,
- muscle regeneration,
- spinal condition,
- facial skin condition,
- on the lymphatic system.
Important
Adequate rest is not only about the correct posture. Improper preparation for bed can prevent you from getting proper rest and sleep, just like a bad mattress, a crooked posture or noisy neighbors.
Before going to bed it is recommended:
- Take a walk (2 hours before bedtime)
- Take a relaxing bath or warm shower (1 hour before bedtime)
- Turn off TVs, laptops and put any gadgets aside (1 hour before bedtime)
- Dim the lights in the house (30 minutes before bedtime)
- Ventilate the room (15 minutes before bedtime)
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Sleeping on your stomach
According to research, about 15% of people prefer to sleep on their stomach. Unfortunately, this sleep position can hardly be called healthy for the body. The main problem is the incorrect position of the spine and cervical spine, as well as excess pressure on the chest area and internal organs. As a result, instead of removing the load accumulated during the day, it is necessary, the body experiences additional discomfort.
Another negative factor is that a person actually has to sleep face down on the pillow. Because of this, swelling occurs on the face, the skin is compressed, which leads to the appearance of early wrinkles and aging of the skin. In addition, there is no support for the cervical spine, which can lead to unpleasant sensations in the neck in the morning and migraines.
We recommend that you avoid sleeping on your stomach and choose a sleeping position on your back or side. If you are not able to immediately give up this bad habit, choose mattress models with elastic fillings in the upper layers. An excellent solution would be to choose a mattress with a memory effect (MEMORY) in the composition.
How to reduce the negative impact on the body?
- Change your position a little. It is enough to bend one leg to take the load off the spine and reduce pressure on the internal organs.
- To avoid waking up in the morning with a swollen face and to avoid the premature appearance of wrinkles, choose anatomical pillows made from memory foam materials. They delicately follow every curve of your body without putting back pressure on your face. It is the squeezing of the facial skin that causes wrinkles to appear. Thanks to the unique property of memory foam, this can be avoided. The pillow should be low so that the cervical spine is in the correct position.
Stomach sleeping mattress
In order to reduce the negative impact of sleeping on your stomach, you should choose moderately soft or medium models with or without springs. But in order to get the full benefits of sleeping on an orthopedic mattress, it is better to choose sleeping on your back.
For sleeping on your stomach, the Sontelle Libre Roll 12 R, a medium-firm model with a micromassage effect, is suitable.
All mattresses for stomach sleepers
Having neck pain? Observe 3 important conditions!
Medical research and practice have shown that there are certain conditions that must be met in order to get enough sleep. Here are some of them.
- Since the cervical area contains arteries from a group of elements important for life, one of them is carotid, and if it is compressed, blood flow to the brain will be impaired. As a result, it will be deprived of oxygen, and the transmission of impulses will go wrong.
- The neck should be positioned parallel to the plane of the bed at the time of sleep, otherwise the person will not rest, and in the morning he will feel heaviness in the cervical vertebrae. And this can be done with a pillow.
- The cervical curve should only be natural. This way the muscles will be relaxed and there will be no stress on the vertebrae.
So, the ideal option would be a pose where the curve of the neck is filled with a pillow and the shoulders lie on the mattress. In this position of the neck, stiffness in the morning will disappear, and with it snoring and apnea.
Remember!
The neck, located on the pillow, should not be turned in relation to the body.
In order for the cervical vertebrae to sit in a natural position on the pillow, its height is selected according to the width of the shoulders. If a person has broad shoulders, then the product should be voluminous, but for people with a fragile physique, it is better to choose a thinner pillow. Then, the feeling of lack of air will not arise, since the way for it will be open.
Please note!
To prevent your neck from bending excessively upward, do not use a high pillow. But too low will not work either. It will not provide sufficient neck support.
On the back
One of the best sleeping positions, provided you sleep in the right sleeping position. The spine in this pose takes a neutral position. This allows him to get rid of the load accumulated during the day. At the same time, the muscles also rest - it’s not for nothing that athletes are recommended to sleep on hard models. Effective muscle rest promotes their accelerated regeneration.
The disadvantages of this position include snoring and an increased chance of experiencing sleep paralysis. It is also best not to sleep on your back if you suffer from sleep apnea. But these phenomena are quite rare. If you have not encountered them before, you can safely choose this position for night rest.
Mattress and pillow for back sleepers
Almost any mattress is suitable for sleeping on your back. The main thing is that it has orthopedic qualities. Even a soft mattress can support the body and especially the spine in the correct position. But when choosing a soft model, you should look at mattresses with an independent spring block. Preferably with a spring block no lower than S1000. When choosing between medium, moderately firm and firm mattresses, choose any mattress design.
Mattresses for back sleepers
Choosing the wrong pillow when sleeping on your back will lead to muscle tension and neck pain
It is better to sleep on your back on an orthopedic pillow with bolsters. These pillows have a special recess for the head. And the bolsters will support the cervical spine, relieving it of accumulated stress overnight. You can also choose an anatomical pillow with a classic shape, but not too high.
Seat, pillow and mattress
The mattress for sleeping should be flat, without depressions.
When choosing a surface for sleeping, doctors do not advise giving preference to the sofa and other places where there are holes, depressions and other irregularities. The mattress should be horizontal, moderately hard and soft. For back pain and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, doctors may recommend purchasing an orthopedic mattress with certain characteristics.
The pillow should be of optimal height. There are special orthopedic pillows with memory effect, but their use can cause discomfort and you need to get used to them. It is important that when choosing a pillow it is clear that it allows you to keep the line of the chest, neck and lower back at the same level.
A few more recommendations for choosing and organizing a sleeping place:
- if you have illnesses, hard mattresses are useful, they relieve stress and tension, and help with pain;
- people over 45 years old are suitable for soft, special mattresses that relieve pressure points in areas of contact;
- For young people, especially children and teenagers, hard mattresses are more suitable to eliminate the risk of spinal curvature;
- if you are overweight, the hardness of the bed should be greater than if you are underweight or have normal body weight;
- in case of excessive physical exertion, an anatomically correct, orthopedic model of the mattress is required that can relieve tension.
Stores offer options for double-sided mattresses - with a harder or softer side for a permanent base and an orthopedic side for cases of overstrain or pain.
Sleeping on your left side
Although it is not without its drawbacks, this sleeping position can be called the best! Resting on your left side has the following advantages:
- No heartburn. The stomach is located lower than the esophagus, so gastric juice cannot enter it.
- Improved digestion. First, it's all about simple gravity - food waste will more easily move from the large intestine to the colon, which makes bowel movements easier. Secondly, since the stomach and pancreas are shifted to the left side, it will be easier for them to perform their function because they will be in a natural position.
- The possibility of snoring and apnea in this position is minimized.
- Benefits for the lymphatic system. It flows into the thoracic duct, which is located on the left side. Sleeping on your left side makes it easier to remove toxins from your body.
- There is less chance of experiencing sleep paralysis compared to the supine position.
But this position also has disadvantages, which appear when choosing the wrong mattress hardness and pillow model:
- Firstly, there are creases on the face due to face contact with the pillow and earlier aging.
- Secondly, impaired blood flow in the shoulders and arms.
How body position changes as a result of illness
The disease begins with unpleasant pain. Moreover, in the bustle of the day, for a long time we may not attach importance to the tingling under the shoulder blade, tired legs or numbness of the hands, explaining these symptoms with anything: physical activity, nervous tension, stress, and so on. However, our body, unlike busy us, is sensitive to any disruption in the body and responds by changing the position of the body during sleep, easing the pressure in the area where the diseased organ is located.
Depression, low blood pressure, neuroses, stomach ulcers . With these diseases, a person intuitively takes the most gentle “fetal” position (position on his side, knees drawn up to the body).
Cervical osteochondrosis, tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis - position on the side, hands placed under the cheek or pillow.
Heart disease - on your back with your arms thrown up or half-sitting on high pillows.
If you wake up in the morning in a royal pose, with your hands behind your head, and this position was not typical for you before, it would not hurt to contact a cardiologist.
When we take a horizontal position, the flow of venous blood to the heart increases. The heart, in the case of heart failure, is not able to cope with a large influx of blood, it stagnates in the lungs and, as a result, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, which disappear with an upright position. This forces a person to take a position in sleep that is close to vertical, placing high pillows under his back and head. As the disease progresses, a person needs more and more pillows. People with heart disease feel helpless in front of the world of sleep and the horizontal position of the body; difficulties with blood circulation force them to look for support for their existence, at least with the help of pillows.
Increased pressure - supine position.
Diseases of the spine and gastrointestinal tract - poses in the “embryo” and on the stomach, which can reduce pressure on the spinal discs and relieve stress on the back.
Poor circulation in the legs, beginning varicose veins - a person sleeps on his back, legs bent at the knees. This pose is also taken if the legs are very tired. It facilitates blood circulation, heart function, and allows you to relieve veins.
Diseases of the liver, right kidney, diabetes - sleep on the left side.
Asthmatic bronchitis - a person lies on his back with his arms spread wide and his head thrown back. This position promotes better ventilation of the lungs, which means better access of oxygen to the body.
Diseases of the auditory nerve - the “ostrich” pose, when a person covers his head with a pillow while sleeping.
One lady who underwent surgery to remove a tumor on the right auditory nerve and completely lost her hearing shared details of the development of the disease. Previously, the woman always slept on her left side in the “half-fetal” position, and over the past ten years she began to cover her head with a pillow so that it was located directly on the right ear. As the tumor grew, the lady developed constant noise in the ears (tinnitus), which she tried to get rid of by covering her ear with a pillow while sleeping.
The neurosurgeon who performed the operation suggested that the disease developed over a dozen years. It turns out that the early stage of the disease coincided with the transition from the “half-fetal” position in sleep to the “ostrich” position. If medicine were able to unravel the body’s signals transmitted by sleep positions, it would be possible to detect the development of a tumor at an early stage and save a woman’s hearing. This case from the practice of the American psychiatrist S. Dunkell clearly confirms that sleep position can warn of illness in advance.
If you begin to wake up in a position that is not typical for you, I advise you to listen to your health.
On the right side
Sleeping on the right side lacks almost all the benefits of sleeping on the left side. The only advantages that can be noted are the absence of snoring and breathing disorders during sleep. However, resting on your side can cause heartburn. The fact is that while sleeping on the right side, gastric juice can enter the esophagus, because it will be located higher. Obviously, if you like to sleep on your side, it is better to choose the left side.
Suitable mattresses and pillows for side sleepers
When sleeping on your side, you should avoid mattresses that are too hard (left picture). The optimal hardness is no higher than average (right picture). In the second case, the spine will be in a natural position
For this resting position, it is better to choose mattresses no higher than an average level of hardness with balanced orthopedic and anatomical properties. The body should “sink” a little into the mattress so that the spine takes an even position and the soft tissues are not compressed. A mattress that is too hard will cause misalignment of the spinal column and pain in the body - in the shoulder area and in soft tissues.
An example of a mattress for comfortable side sleeping. A thick top layer of soft latex is complemented by a hard layer of coconut coir. The center of the structure is the spring block.
The right mattress for side sleeping has an anatomical top layer about 3 cm high that adapts to the contours of the body. For example, natural latex, memory foam or natural soy. A rigid layer under the soft material, as well as a block of independent springs, are responsible for proper support of the spine during sleep.
All models for side sleepers
When choosing a pillow, it is better to pay attention to orthopedic models with bolsters. The largest cushion is made for sleeping on the side; it elastically supports the cervical spine. When resting on your side, your face comes into contact with the pillow, so it is better to choose models made of anatomical materials, as mentioned in the paragraph about sleeping on your stomach.
Why you need to sleep in the right position
Let's start with anatomy.
The human brain is quite small in size (only 2% of the total body weight), but it consumes enormous resources. When we sleep, the brain continues to work, “taking” 15% of the blood from the total blood flow and 20% of the oxygen that we receive when breathing.
The brain is supplied with blood and oxygen through two carotid and two vertebral arteries. The vertebral arteries pass through the canal that forms the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae and provide nutrition mainly to the posterior parts of the brain (cerebellum, pons, medulla oblongata).
If the blood supply to these sections is insufficient, then their corresponding functions in the body suffer: the cerebellum - coordination and accuracy of movements, the pons oblongata and the Varoliev bridge - digestion, respiration, vascular tone and heart function.
What are the dangers of incorrect postures?
Compression of both or one vertebral artery during sleep is very dangerous. Even if one artery is pinched, the other may not be able to handle the increased blood flow - it may turn out to be too narrow to work for two (the diameter of the arteries sometimes differs from each other by 2 times), or it may be blocked by an atherosclerotic plaque.
When the blood supply through two paired arteries supplying the brain is disrupted, hypoxia or oxygen starvation of brain cells, which are sensitive to the lack of oxygen, occurs. For example, the kidneys or liver can be without oxygen for several hours, the brain can only last about 5-10 minutes. Moreover, in the areas of the brain responsible for intelligence and memory, irreversible processes begin within a minute. Thus, we need to protect and cherish our vertebral arteries, which provide us with a full life. When you go to bed, make sure that these arteries are not compressed during your sleep.
Of great importance is the choice of pillow, which should provide support to the cervical vertebrae and maintain a natural head position, as in a standing position. It is better to choose a medium-height or orthopedic pillow. The shoulders should not be on the pillow, but on the mattress.
How to sleep is harmful
Let's consider poses that can provoke the sad consequences described above.
Sleeping on high pillows or on your stomach can lead to the development of cervical osteochondrosis and cause a stroke (in older people). Strokes most often occur in the early morning hours, when a person has spent most of the night in an incorrect position.
Sleeping on a high pillow on your side has the same dangerous consequences. One vertebral artery is compressed, and the second may not cope.
In the prone position, a twisted neck compresses the throat, the carotid artery in the area of the collarbone, one of the paired vertebral arteries, the second may work poorly due to atherosclerosis. All this makes breathing, blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain difficult.
In addition, the sleeping person compresses the chest, which in its normal state should have a large amplitude so that the diaphragm can expand and the lungs fill with air. When the lungs are compressed, the air in them is not fully renewed. At a young age this is not very scary, but at an old age it can lead to death.
Sleep on your stomach with your arms extended above your head. A person sleeping in this position exposes himself to a dangerous disease - brachioplexus syndrome. Nerve endings and blood vessels are compressed due to severe tension in the muscles of the forearm, causing the hands to hurt and go numb.
Moreover, a head turned to one side pinches the carotid artery in the collarbone area, compresses the muscles of the throat and neck, which impedes blood circulation, breathing, and oxygen supply to the brain.
Sleeping while sitting stretches the intervertebral discs, resulting in pain and swelling in the neck area. We are talking about a position when a very tired person falls asleep while sitting on public transport or at a table.
Sleeping on a very hard bed can lead to straightening of the physiological curves of the spine in the neck and lumbar region. As a result, a high load is placed on the intervertebral discs, causing pain and local swelling; over time, the discs become deformed and the pain becomes constant, and osteochondrosis develops.
Sleeping without a pillow straightens the physiological cervical curve and leads to deformation of the cervical discs and osteochondrosis.
Sleeping on your back disrupts your breathing rhythm (if the muscles of the palate and throat are weakened or have a congenital defect), which leads to snoring and apnea. This is why the royal pose is called the “sudden death pose.”
The most correct pose
Sleeping on your side is considered the most comfortable under the following conditions:
- the head and spine are on the same line, which the mattress and pillow should ensure. You need to place a pillow or blanket between your legs, which will completely relax the muscles of the pelvic girdle and lower extremities.
- the hands are below the shoulders, and not under the cheek or pillow.
However, sleeping on the right side can put additional stress on the liver and also lead to the formation of wrinkles.
Sleeping on your back is considered by many doctors to be quite physiological: the spinal discs are maximally unloaded, blood circulates normally. This position is most recommended for hypertensive patients, people susceptible to heart disease, and heartburn.
Experts recommend that people who prefer the king position sleep on a bolster pillow of medium height; the mattress should have medium hardness. Snoring is a contraindication.
It is very difficult to accustom yourself to an unusual position in sleep, because sleep positions reflect the nature of our personality and correspond to the nature and type of psychological defense.
