Sleeping Posture: How Should I be Sleeping?
What You Need To Know About Sleeping Posture
What’s the best way to position my neck when I’m sleeping? How should I sleep to ease my low back pain? My back always hurts when I wake up, is it because of my mattress? My hands are tingly in the morning when I wake up, is it because of my mattress?
Here at PhysioStrength, we get asked about sleeping posture quite often. Sleep is a very important part of your day. It’s the time during which your body and mind are able to completely rest and rejuvenate. Sleep is important for many things including brain function, muscle recovery, and hormone balance. If you’re not sleeping well, it can have a huge impact on your overall function and quality of life. Different medical conditions and different symptoms may require for different alterations in sleeping posture in order to maximize comfort and decrease irritation of specific body tissues.
Choosing the Right Mattress
Different people are going to have different preferences when it comes to mattresses. If you’re looking to buy a new mattress, be sure and actually lay on some of them at the store before choosing. Lay flat on your back on the mattress for 5 minutes and if you have to cross your legs to get comfortable, it’s not the right mattress for you. Some people prefer a firm mattress and some people prefer a soft mattress. There is not necessarily a right or wrong. Personally, I prefer a relatively firm mattress because it allows me to vary my sleeping position without causing discomfort. The most important thing is that you find what works for you and what allows you to sleep throughout the night. Sleep is a very important part of life and has a huge impact on your overall well-being. Therefore, investing in a mattress that allows you to sleep soundly during the night is critical.
Sleeping Posture
What is the best position to sleep in? Unfortunately, there is not a clear answer to this question that applies to everyone. It depends. For people with back or neck pain, it’s important to keep the spine in a relatively neutral position during sleep and avoid positions that can compromise the joints. This is where having a good understanding of anatomy and joint relationships is important. Your physical therapist can help explain these things to you. If you like to sleep on your back, I would suggest trying a pillow or two underneath your knees. This can help keep your lumbar spine in a semi-flexed position. If you prefer sleeping on your side, you might try placing a pillow between your knees. Again, this can help keep your lumbar spine in a neutral alignment throughout the night.
You may be able to control the position you sleep in, but you can’t always control what your body does while you’re asleep. Your body might subconsciously change positions during your sleep, causing you to wake up in a completely new position. Ultimately, sleeping posture and your mattress are only two factors related to sleep quality. Nutrition, metabolism, exercise, late-night technology use, stress levels, and consistency of sleep cycles all play a role in your quality of sleep.
Want to learn more? The Doctors at PhysioStrength Physical Therapy can answer your sleep wellness questions and help you reach any of your health-related goals. Contact us and schedule your appointment today!
Call 253-336-2040