The position in which a person sleeps most often has a great impact on the well-being in the morning, the quality of sleep and the general condition of the body. Unfortunately, there is no one ideal and correct position for sleeping. It is necessary to choose it depending on the degree of firmness of your mattress and the characteristics of the body.
In this article, we will figure out how the position of the body during rest affects the human body and what sleeping positions can be called the best.
What Does Sleep Position Affect
Do you often wake up in a bad mood? Perhaps it’s not about you, but about your mattress or the wrong sleeping position!
It is enough to sit in an uncomfortable chair for half an hour for thoughts of unpleasant sensations to displace all others from your head. Now remember that we spend about 8 hours a day sleeping and if the body is in the wrong position all this time, it can cause significant harm to the body.
What Exactly Does The Sleeping Position Affect:
- Blood supply to organs, including the brain;
- Digestion
- Muscle regeneration,
- The condition of the spine,
- Facial skin condition,
- On the lymphatic system.
- Sleeping on your stomach
According to research, about 15% of people prefer to sleep on their stomachs. Unfortunately, this sleeping 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 excessive pressure on the chest and internal organs.
Besides:
- The neck does not receive support
- The face is pressed into the pillow → swelling and wrinkles
- Load instead of recovery
What Can Be Done?
- Change your posture slightly: bend one leg to take the load off your spine
- Use an anatomical memory foam pillow to reduce pressure on your face and support your neck.
- Mattress Recommendations, and check the mattress price in Pakistan
- Choose moderately soft or medium hardness models with elastic layers. Mattresses with a memory foam and soft top layers are suitable. This will help the body at least partially compensate for the unfavorable position.
Sleeping On Your Back
One of the best sleeping positions provided that you sleep in the right sleeping place for you.
Pros. 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 is not for nothing that athletes are recommended to sleep on rigid models. Effective muscle rest contributes to their accelerated regeneration.
Of the disadvantages of this position, snoring and an increased chance of encountering sleep paralysis can be noted. It’s 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 a night’s rest.
Mattress And Pillow For Sleeping On The Back
- The mattress can be soft if it has good point support.
- The pillow should be with a recess under the head and bolsters for the neck, or a flat anatomical shape.
- It is better to sleep on your back on an orthopedic pillow with bolsters. Such pillows have a special recess for the head. And the rollers will support the cervical spine, relieving it of the accumulated load overnight. You can also choose an anatomical pillow of a classic shape, but not too high.
The wrong choice of pillow while sleeping on your back will lead to muscle tension and neck pain
Sleeping On The Left Side Is Physiological And Safe
Although it is not without drawbacks, this sleeping position can be called the best! Resting on the left side has the following advantages:
No heartburn. The stomach is located lower than the esophagus, so gastric juice will not be able to get into it.
Improved digestion. Firstly, it’s all about simple gravity – food waste will move more easily from the colon to the colon, which simplifies the work of the intestines. 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.
Minimal risk of snoring and apnea. In this position, the respiratory organs are in the correct position, so the likelihood of snoring and temporary respiratory arrest is reduced significantly.
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 the body.
Minimal risk of sleep paralysis. When sleeping on your left side, you are much less likely to experience sleep paralysis compared to sleeping on your back.
But this pose also has disadvantages, which manifest themselves when choosing the wrong mattress firmness and pillow model:
- Firstly, these are creases on the face due to the contact of the face with the pillow and early aging.
- Secondly, impaired blood flow in the shoulders and arms.
- Sleeping on the right side
Sleeping on the right side is devoid of almost all the benefits of sleeping on the left side. Of the advantages, only the absence of snoring and breathing disorders during sleep can be noted. But at the same time, resting on the side can cause heartburn. The fact is that while sleeping on the right side, gastric juice can get into 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 Sleeping On The Side
For this resting posture, it is better to choose mattresses no higher than an average level of firmness 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 squeezed. A mattress that is too hard will cause a misalignment of the spinal column and pain in the body – in the shoulder area and in the soft tissues.
When sleeping on your side, too hard mattresses should be avoided (left picture). The optimal stiffness is not higher than average (right picture). In the second case, the spine will be in a natural position
The right mattress and get mattress price in Pakistan for sleeping on the side has an anatomical top layer about 3 cm high, which adapts to the contours of the body. For example, natural latex, memorix foam or natural soy. A hard layer under the soft material, as well as a block of independent springs, is responsible for the proper support of the spine during sleep.
When choosing a pillow, it is better to pay attention to orthopedic models with bolsters. The largest bolster is made for sleeping on the side, it elastically supports the cervical spine. When resting on the side, the face comes into contact with the pillow, so it is better to choose models made of anatomical materials, as indicated in the paragraph about sleeping on the stomach.
