Sleeping posture makes a difference to your health. Here is a compilation of 9 ways to improve your condition while you snooze.
The average human being sleeps approximately 25 years in his lifetime. Human beings need sleep. Though, from what science understands, researchers still don’t know exactly why we need sleep. And it’s not just about how much sleep we need—statistics say the average adult needs between 7-9 hours per night—it’s also about how we sleep. Because, what position we sleep in affects our health too.
Sleeping position can affect many aspects of our body. From back pain to blood pressure to sinus infection, sleeping in a certain way can affect all of these kinds of symptoms and more. Here, we’ve compiled a list of 9 sleeping postures from various health sources to help alleviate all of these ailments.
1. Back Pain
If you suffer from back pain, sleeping position can make a difference. Ultimately, you should sleep in the position that works best for you. However, WebMD recommends to simply lay flat ‘on your back’. They explained: “When sleeping on your back, place a pillow under your knees. You also can put a small, rolled-up towel under the curve of your back.”
2. Shoulder Pain
For pain in either one of your shoulders, Women’s Health Magazine recommends sleeping on your “pain-free side with your legs slightly bent”. You may also clasp a pillow to your chest and/or tuck a pillow between your knees for additional support.
3. Sinus Trouble
If you are fighting off a sinus infection sleeping position may either be beneficial or detrimental according to Harvard Medical School. They recommend to, “Sleep with your head elevated… Mucus pools in your sinuses at night when your head is down, so have your head propped up during sleep.”
4. Headaches
Also with headaches, sleeping position can either alleviate or aggravate the condition. Hub’s Health Expert said, “I used to suffer from daily headaches until I realized that I was twisting my neck when I slept.” They recommend surrounding the head with pillows to prevent it from turning.
5. PMS pain
For ladies suffering from painful PMS-related symptoms, sleep can help to alleviate the ailment. Women’s Health Magazine suggested, “Get your best PMS shut-eye on your back. Place a pillow under your knees to keep your spine from arching too much.”
6. High blood pressure
Of course, you should discuss the general condition of high blood pressure with your doctor, as well as any treatment regimens you’d like to explore. However, WebMD recently released a report by Ehime University School of Medicine on how sleeping posture affects blood pressure. What they discovered was that sleeping face-down can actually lower blood pressure. “The men’s overall blood pressure went down slightly—but significantly—when the men rested face down,” stated the report.
7. Digestion trouble
According to Skin Sheen, “Sleeping on the left side helps in better digestion.” And this seems to make sense, because our stomachs are positioned slightly on the left side of our bodies. Hence, laying on the left side allows gravity assist the digestive process.
8. Neck pain
Using additional neck support may help the symptoms of neck pain. “For neck pain, it is helpful to use a small rolled-up hand towel right under the neck for added support,” according to PainPhysicians.com. “The towel can be placed inside the pillowcase to help it stay in place.”
9. Heartburn
Last but not the least… heartburn can make sleeping very difficult. Just like for indigestion, heartburn can be alleviated by sleeping on one’s left side according to WebMD. If ever you forget what side to sleep on, just keep in mind that, “right is wrong”.
These are just a few of the ways sleeping posture can benefit your health. Though by all means, do consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about such symptoms or about these sleeping solutions. These positions are only for your knowledge and reference. Happy sleeping!
