Do you ever come home from an exhausting day at work or school and just prop yourself on the couch face first? Yeah, we’ve all been there. While this might provide some instant relief, the impact of sleeping in bizarre positions will be felt well into the future. So, if you are one of those people who prides themselves in sleeping in quirky positions, then it might be time to reconsider it. Why do you ask? Well, let’s find out.
Is This A Healthy Way Of Sleeping?
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If you’ve experienced recurring back pain or a sore neck, or a range of other problems like waking up with a puffy face or even respiratory problems, then you have probably considered seeing a doctor. Often you might even suffer from sleep-related issues, which could reduce your energy levels throughout the day.
While getting help could be prudent, another really cost-effective remedy could just be to sleep on your back. Yes, you read that right! An easy method to lessen your pain could just be to sleep like a baby, sprawled on the bed with your face towards the ceiling. Now, let’s take a look at some of the added benefits of sleeping on your back.
Benefits Of Sleeping On Your Back
1. Helps reduce breathing problems at night: If you suffer from sinus-related issues or any other breathing troubles, then sleeping on your back might help ease the burden. You see, sleeping flat on your belly or curling up on your side, could lead to congestion in your respiratory organs. It could also compress your diaphragm, which is one of the most important muscles involved in the breathing process. Lying on your back frees your diaphragm and lets you take in deep breaths, which has been linked to increased production of melatonin in your body, which aids in inducing a relaxing sleep cycle. This could prevent you from waking up in the middle of the night, due to shortness of breath, and in turn, lead to a sound sleep!
2. Provides relief from neck and back pain: If you are the kind of person whose sleep position often resembles the shape of a banana, then you might have experienced some spinal trouble. Sleeping on your stomach with your head facing toward either side isn’t such a good position either, as it too leads to compression of your spine. This back pain could shoot up at night, which could hinder you from catching some much-needed sleep after a tiring day. Sleeping on your back helps retain the natural shape of your spine and can aid in relieving those back pains that might not only be hindering you from doing certain tasks throughout your day but also, such pain often hinders you from getting a sound sleep, so a reduction in such agony would ensure that you wake up fresh after a full night’s sleep, every day.
3. May even reduce headaches: Have you ever experienced a pulsating pain shooting up from one side of your head? Or perhaps your eyes hurt, and you’ve been complaining of a stiff neck? If you have been tormented by any such symptoms, then there might be a chance that this pain is actually originating from your neck. This pain could often prohibit you from sleeping well. Also known as Cervicogenic headaches, these are often mistaken for migraines. Sleeping on your back takes off the load from your head, thus reducing the pressure applied on it and thereby reducing the chances of you experiencing such pain. This could help you fall asleep almost immediately, and thereby improving the quality of your sleep
While sleeping on your back might have many added benefits, sleeping on your back may not often be the best sleep position for those suffering from sleep apnea. Lying down on your back allows your tongue to relax and thereby obstructs your airways. This could have you waking up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. Thereby, it is recommended that you change your sleep positions after taking into consideration your pre-existing conditions.
After having read about the numerous benefits as well as the shortcomings of sleeping on your back that is mentioned above, you might be considering making the switch. The process could be slightly difficult, but if you try really hard to put in a little effort each day, you can relieve yourself of a lot of problems, and truly start to enjoy life (and sleep)!
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Amanda Wingfield is a certified Diabetes Management Specialist who also holds an MD in Endocrinology, with certifications from ABIM and AACE. She has a decade of experience serving thousands of patients through her independent practice and has been working in the capacity of an expert diabetes consultant for the past 4 years. Ms. Wingfield is revered by her regular readers for her in-depth research and evidence-based analysis of diabetes medications, supplements, and treatments, and her highly critical style of writing.