Best Positions to Sleep In To Support Posture and Spinal Alignment
June 10, 2010
You know that maintaining good posture and regularly exercising your back muscles can work wonders for those who experience a significant amount of back pain. But if you’re still waking up every morning with lingering back and shoulder pain, it may not be enough. In fact, according to experts, even the best mattress in the world won’t help your morning aches and pains unless you sleep in a position primed for pain prevention.
So when it comes to how you sleep at night, which position comes out on top as the ultimate way to prevent and even alleviate back, neck and shoulder pains?
Side sleepers have the right idea: according to numerous studies, the best way to sleep is in the fetal position, with your knees bent.
So why is this position the best for your back? Experts claim that how we lie when we sleep – on our backs, stomachs or sides – has a significant effect on the amount of strain our muscles, joints and nerves experience. For those who sleep on their backs, the spine is forced into an unnatural straight position; since our spines curve in three different locations – our lower back, mid-back and near our neck – it’s not surprising that back sleepers often report feeling more pain at these three focal areas.
If you have difficulty sleeping on your side, here are a few tips that can help you prevent those troublesome morning pains:
- Sleeping on your side is good – but tucking a small pillow in between your knees can give your spine even more support while you sleep, as it takes a great deal of stress off of your back.
- Can’t fall asleep unless you’re on your back? Then take a small pillow and prop it under your knees. This reduces the pressure on your lower back, where your sciatic nerve is located. Lower back pain tends to be severe when this nerve is stressed, so propping your knees can help you wake up feeling relaxed and in less pain.
- Another useful tip for back sleepers: place another small pillow under your neck (think travel-sized) to relieve additional pressure from the spine. However, make sure that your chin isn’t pressed too far forward.
- For those who prefer to sleep on their stomachs, it’s time to learn a new position: sleeping facedown exaggerates the arch of your back, causing a significant amount of strain on both the nerves and muscles. Re-teach yourself how to sleep by taping a soft stress ball to the front of your pajamas – your body will quickly learn that sleeping facedown is a very uncomfortable experience!
When considering treatment for back pain, our physical therapy clinics in Bayonne and Scotch Plains NJ come highly recommended by numerous physicians in Hudson and Union Counties. Feel free to contact us for a Free, In-Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location, call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $145 value).
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