There are plenty of ways to fall asleep, but some positions can affect your spine, back, and sleep quality
While it might be comfortable to sleep on your stomach, your head will likely be turned to one side on your pillow all night
Chiropractor Dr Nathan Bridge told Yahoo Lifestyle that having your spine twisted like that for hours on end will “quietly damage” one of the most important parts of your body
Advertisement
Advertisement
For some clients, the effects will be “cumulative” and will present themselves over time, whereas others can notice symptoms of this with just one night’s sleep
“You’ve got musculoskeletal effects, which are headaches and neck pain, and the other ones are waking up through the night because that pain is causing you to wake up,” he said
Aussies sleep improving after new form of ‘divorce’: ‘Key priority’
Aussie cafe’s $30 brunch exposed as $5.50 supermarket buy served up
<a href="https://au.yahoo.com/baby-boomers-<a href="https://healthylife7.com/surprising-new-it-food-that-diet-gurus-say-can-help-beat-exhaustion-revealed/” title=”Surprising new 'it' food that diet gurus say can help beat exhaustion revealed”>surprising-discovery-after-ditching-australia-to-retire-7200km-away-to-escape-age-pension-nightmare-080000260.html” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Baby Boomer’s surprising discovery after ditching Australia to escape Age Pension nightmare
But there is a sleeping position that is one step worse than just lying on your stomach
Advertisement
Advertisement
It’s when you are semi-on-your-stomach, with your head turned on the pillow, and a knee is raised around 90 degrees to the side
Dr Bridge said this position will also affect your hips and back because it’s an awkward position to be in overnight
Do you have a story? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com
Many people will change positions without even realising during the night, but the effects of being in your stomach or with the knee raised can add up
“If we look at spinal biomechanics, it’s definitely causing a problem,” he told Yahoo Lifestyle
“Whether that leads to long-term issues, the jury’s still out on that
Advertisement
Advertisement
“However, it’s not a neutral position for your spine. Your joints are under stress overnight, and your muscles are not relaxed, so it’s a bit of a recipe for problems.”
How can you fix damage done by sleeping on your stomach?
If you want to defy the suggestion to not sleep on your stomach, there are ways to reduce its impact on your body
Dr Bridge said you want to make sure you don’t have “big bulky” pillows as they will cause your neck to sit at an awkward angle
He added that the mattress firmness will also play a role in your pillow height so factor that in next time you’re shopping
The expert, who is the leading chiropractor for mattress brand Sleepy, said you can do stretches and exercises to correct the damage being done:
Advertisement
Advertisement
Before bed: Gently rotate your neck side to side and perform five lower back cat-cow stretches
After waking:Repeat neck rotations and cat-cow stretches to loosen muscles strained overnight
What’s the best sleeping position for your spine, back and neck?
According to Dr Bridge, it’s the foetal position or on your side
It’s the most “spine-friendly sleep position” as it naturally aligns the spine while reducing pressure on the neck and lower back
But you still want to make sure your pillow is the right size so that your neck sits neutrally
Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure to follow us onFacebook,Instagram,andTikTok
