If you sleep for eight hours every night (one-third of a day) then you will sleep for about 9000 days (one-third of your life) throughout your entire life! This shows that sleep is one vital aspect of life that just can’t be overlooked. And there’s a right way to do it!
To maximise your sleep, you should adopt sleeping positions that will enhance your overall health and prevent the emergence or worsening of any ailment.
Here are 7 ailments typically caused or aggravated by bad sleeping positions. In this list, you will also find the right sleeping positions to adopt depending on if any of these ailments affect you.
Heartburn or Acid Reflux
When you sleep in the wrong position, stomach acid is able to flow freely into the oesophagus, causing heartburn or even acid reflux. Sleeping on the left side is the best position for heartburn because it keeps the oesophagus elevated above stomach acid, preventing the acid from leaking into the oesophagus.
The worst sleeping positions for heartburn or acid reflux include sleeping on your back, your right side, and stomach. In these positions, the junction between the oesophagus and stomach will be at a level that allows the free flow of acid into the oesophagus.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
While snoring is a common condition that seldom signifies something serious, sleep apnea, on the other hand, is a serious condition that can potentially kill you. Both conditions can greatly impact health, hence the need to adopt the right sleeping position that will help mitigate them.
Sleep apnea and snoring usually occur when the airways are partially or totally blocked, leading to pauses in breathing. The recommended positions for sleep apnea and snoring include sleeping on your side and stomach. You should avoid sleeping on your back to prevent your tongue from blocking your airways.
Neck Pain
If you wake with a discomfort in the neck that feels as if your neck has been in the wrong position, then you may want to try sleeping on your back or side. Furthermore, it is important to get a pillow that suits the shape of your neck. This means the pillow shouldn’t be too high or stiff but rather should allow your neck to stay in a neutral position throughout the night.
Lower Back Pain
The first thing you can do about lower back pain is getting a firm mattress that does not sag while you sleep. Your sleeping position is the next factor to consider as it can have something to do with your lower back pain. The best positions for lower back pain are back and side sleeping.
You should sleep on your side with your knees slightly bent and you can try putting a pillow in between your knees. Avoid pulling your knees all the way up to your chest when you do this.
You can also sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. These sleeping positions will support the natural curvature in your spine, thus taking the stress off your lower back and preventing lower back pain.
Shoulder Pain
If you wake up with pain in the shoulder, then your sleeping position, particularly sleeping on your side, maybe to blame.
When you sleep on your side, the weight of your body places a lot of pressure on your shoulder and this can lead to inflammations and stiffness in the tendons of the shoulder.
Your best bet for shoulder pain will be sleeping on your back. You can try sleeping on your stomach as the last resort.
Hip Pain
The most logical position for a sore hip is sleeping on the back because this prevents you from putting too much pressure on the hip. Hence, you shouldn’t sleep on the side where the hip hurts to avoid aggravating the pain. While you can try sleeping on the opposite side of your sore hip, you may just cause pain in the other hip over time.
Jaw Pain
If you wake up with gnawing jaw pain, then you’ve probably been sleeping on the side of your face where the jaw is sore. This means sleeping on your side adds pressure to the joints of the jaw or the jaw itself. Once again, the best position will be sleeping on your back.
With these tips above, you will be able to prevent and alleviate pain and also get the nightly sleep you deserve! Cheers!
Featured Image Source: IStock
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