Everyone has their own preferred sleeping position, and there are many options. We all sleep, albeit some of us like to do so on our sides while others prefer to sleep on their backs. But what’s the most comfortable sleeping position?
Health
By resting your body and mind during sleep, you are essentially recharging your batteries. For this reason, losing sleep can have serious effects for your mental, emotional, physical, and cognitive health and functioning. The benefits of sleep are clear. However, the way you sleep can also affect your health, either positively or negatively.
Rest
Maintain a nightly sleep schedule of at least six hours. Less than six hours of sleep is as harmful as no sleep at all, according to studies. It’s fine if this happens occasionally, but you’ll start to feel the effects of chronic sleep deprivation after just two weeks. After a tough night, you could feel like you’re back to normal, but that’s not the case.
Sleeping position
Those who sleep on their stomach, those who sleep on their back, and those who sleep on their side make up the vast majority of the population. The way you lay your head down each night can have both positive and negative effects on your health.
On your back
Are you a back sleeper? If so, you’re in luck: this is the healthiest possible sleeping posture! If you sleep on your back, your spine will be in a healthy position. The neck and back muscles are not overly stressed in this position. Furthermore, this is the most beneficial position for your skin. Sleeping on your back reduces the rate at which wrinkles and age spots appear on your face in comparison to sleeping on your side or stomach. Women can benefit from sleeping on their backs as well, as doing so reduces the risk of developing chest wrinkles and drooping breasts. The only drawback is that it makes snoring even worse.
On your side
Do you favor the side of the bed? Constantly lying on one side, as happens when you sleep on your side, can lead to aches and pains in your arms and legs. When it comes to digestion and heartburn, sleeping on one’s right side is likewise a bad idea. Positives include enhanced blood flow and reduced snoring when you sleep on your side.
On your stomach
The news is not good for stomach sleepers. This is the unhealthiest possible posture. Because your head is tilted back so much, you’ll have pain in your neck and back. You’ll toss and turn more since your spine is in an uncomfortable posture. This will create even more disruption to your already disturbed sleep. Try going to bed with a full stomach, too; it won’t be comfortable. However, it does help reduce snoring, so there’s that.
