Everyone needs it, but we don’t always find it easy to come by. I’m talking about rest.
Scientists don’t know why we actually need to sleep, but we do. Our bodies shut down if we don’t get it. If you’ve watched any of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, you know just how important rest is. You will fall asleep anywhere if your body doesn’t get enough.
But that doesn’t mean you’ll feel refreshed when you wake up. Rest is more than just sleeping. You need to help your body relax fully, and some of that is due to the way that you sleep. Sleeping positions are like gold dust. There are only a small few that will help your body get the full rest it needs, and it’s up to you to figure them out.
Well, okay, it’s not up to you! I’m right here to help you try out certain sleeping positions that have shown positive results when it comes to improving your rest.
How Sleeping Positions Affect Your Rest
When you sleep, your position will affect your posture. If you get the wrong posture or certain parts of your body aren’t supported, you could suffer from the spine misaligning. Even if it doesn’t misalign, you weaken certain areas of your body, and you will find it much harder actually to get the rest that you really needs.
You’ll be surprised by the amount your sleeping positions actually affect your rest. Even just one night will leave you aching the next morning. You’ve likely had that experience where you wake up, and your neck or back are in agony. There’s no other reason except something that happened in your sleep—and it’s likely the lack of support.
Poor sleeping positions can lead to long-term damage, too. If you don’t get enough rest on a night, your body’s immune system doesn’t have the chance to work properly. You’re more likely to suffer from various illnesses and ailments. On top of that, your brain doesn’t get the necessary support, and you end up with mental health issues.
Poor spinal alignment is linked to neck pain, headaches, and sore backs. All those conditions that you just think are hereditary or just issues you have to put up with could be a thing of the past.
All this because you haven’t figured out the way to sleep, so the curves in your spine are supported. So, it’s time to find sleeping positions that will actually help you get the rest that your body so desperately needs.
Sleeping on Your Back Supports the Whole Spine
When you sleep on your back, you support the whole of your spine. It’s not forced to contort to strange angles in the bed, and you don’t have to worry about your neck being unsupported by your pillows.
That being said, sleeping on your back without a pillow is the best option for your neck and spine. That doesn’t feel comfortable, though! I know I can’t sleep without a pillow! So, you should really choose one that it quite thin. It will help to keep your head slightly propped up without too much curvature being added to the top of your spine. If you have too many pillows, you’ll find it much harder to breathe, which makes rest much harder. After all, your body has to work harder to keep you alive!
Sleeping on your back isn’t just good for your health. It can also help to keep facial acne and wrinkles to a minimum. Your face isn’t pushed up against a pillow that has some dust and skin cells. Your pores remain open, and your skin isn’t pulled in all sorts of directions!
However, it is worth noting that back sleepers haven’t shown the best quality sleep in studies. This could be due to mattresses and pillows, but it isn’t clear. Just don’t count on it for the perfect night’s rest but it there is reasons why it will be good for your posture.
When Sleeping On Your Back Isn’t Any Good for Rest
But this isn’t always the best sleeping positions for others. And it may not actually be the best sleeping position if you have sleep apnoea.
Those who sleep on their back are more likely to snore. The gravity pulls your tongue and the flappy parts of your mouth down. The air that you breathe in and out vibrates against these flappy sections, and you end up snoring. In some cases, this can be dangerous as the tongue can block the airway and make it difficult for you to breathe.
Sleep apnoea will usually keep your partner up, but it can also stop you from sleeping. When your body can’t breathe, it will shock you awake so you can help make some changes and prevent death.
If you do have sleep apnoea, it’s best to discuss treatment for your condition. This will help you sleep in the best position for your back without keeping others and yourself up with your snoring!
Pregnant women will be advised to remain on their back. The baby will put pressure on an artery, which will restrict blood flow and can cause problems for you and the little one. Most doctors recommend sleeping on the left side while you’re pregnant, and we’ll move onto side sleeping for better sleep right now.
Ease Heartburn with Side Sleeping
Sleeping on the side tends to win in the sleeping positions arguments. Most people choose to fall asleep like this, although the majority of people won’t actually know how they sleep throughout the night. We’re unconscious remember!
However, most people feel like they are supported and will get a better night’s rest. There is some scientific support for this, too. When you sleep on your side, you can reduce heartburn, indigestion, and even sleep apnoea. If you suffer from any of these problems, you’ll find it much easier to get to and stay asleep throughout the night.
Some people will curl up in a ball, while others like to have one leg stretched out as far as possible. Anyway, that makes them feel comfortable.
And as mentioned, doctors recommend side sleeping for pregnant women. More importantly, they recommend sleeping on the left side. The weight of the baby is removed from the artery, so there is less chance of dizziness, fainting, leg issues, and other health problems for you and the little one.
When Side Sleeping Causes More Problems than It’s Worth
While doctors recommend sleeping on the left side, it’s not a perfect formula. Some people experience extra pressure on their lungs and stomach, making breathing and sleeping so much harder.
At the same time, some people experience their arms going numb because they’re lying on them. Of course, this can happen with sleeping on either side and even when sleeping on the front. If you are going to sleep on your side, try not to place your head on your arm for support. This will restrict the blood flow through the arms, affecting the nerves and muscles. You’ll get pins and needles, a feel of your arm not quite being there, and issues with pain shooting up and down the limb.
Your body’s weight is also distorted. If you don’t have the best mattress for support, you’ll find that your spine is pushed out of line. This can cause problems with posture, especially if you sleep in the fetal position. Your spine and shoulder blades can also be constricted, which can cause trapped nerves and pain across the upper back.
Sleeping in the fetal position also restricts the diaphragm, so you won’t be able to take deep breaths overnight. You’ll need to pull your whole body out to support every aspect of your body to get the best night’s sleep.
Stay Away from Stomach Sleeping
The worst sleeping positions is on the stomach. You only benefit if you suffer from sleep apnoea, as it can pull the tongue away from the back of the throat. Even then, side sleeping can help to cure that, and there are plenty of other treatments to help. It’s not worth sleeping on the stomach just for curing sleep apnoea because of the many problems.
When you sleep on your stomach, you need to turn your head to one side. If you don’t, well, you can’t breathe through the pillow! Turning the head leads to the spine misaligning, and at a drastic rate compared to any other sleeping positions. It just isn’t comfortable or good for your posture.
While your neck is turned difficulty and painfully, your spine is contorted. One side is compressed, while the other side is pulled upright, causing a sag in your body. You’ll find that you suffer far more pain daily because of this misalignment and will need to seek regular treatment.
And then there’s the problem of your arms. Leaving them down your sides isn’t realistic, so you’re left with either tucking them under your head or under your body. Either way, you are going to start cutting off the blood flow to your arms. You’ll have all the issues that you had above with the side sleeping cutting blood flow off!
Sleeping on the stomach can also cause lower back pain. Your stomach sags the wrong way, causing your lower back to hyperextend. Yes, this issue can be controlled through the use of a pillow underneath your hips to support your spine, but you still have the many other problems above.
This isn’t possible for the majority of pregnant women. The bump just makes it far too difficult, and it isn’t recommended even for those who have small baby bumps.
Rest Isn’t All About Sleeping Positions
While the sleeping positions above will help you, getting a good night’s sleep isn’t all about your sleeping positions. You need to find a way to help your mind unwind and avoid stress building up throughout the day plus a premium pillow it’s a must for a perfect sleep. This can be easier said than done, but stress is one of the most common reasons people struggle to sleep on a night. They run through everything that worries them on a night, meaning their brains can’t completely shut off.
Doing exercise throughout the day can also help improve your ability to rest on a night and have a better sleeping positions. Your body uses up any excess energy, and it starts to shut down sooner than normal. If you really struggle, you can also cut out caffeine after 7pm or 8pm to make sure you don’t give your body a reason to be stimulated.
Don’t forget about improving your posture during the day. When you sit at your desk, keep both feet flat on the floor and sit with your back straight up. You can buy back supports for office chairs if you need one. Your hips will be straight, and you’ll find that your spine just has its natural curve working its way up to the spine. Setting your computer at eye level is also important, so you don’t need to force the head to look down and keep an unnecessary curve in your neck.
Think about keeping your shoulders pull back and your head up when walking and standing to keep your posture throughout the day. This helps to keep your spine in line, from the tale to the top of the neck. You’ll find it easier to support it on a night.
Getting the posture right can feel alien at first. The more you do it, the more your muscles will get used to it, and it all becomes natural.
So, What’s the Best Way to Sleep?
Scientists continue to debate the best way to sleep. You want to support your whole spine, and the back is the best way to do that. When you lie on your back, you don’t force the spine to distort or push into different directions. Misalignment is a thing of the past.
However, side sleeping has shown some of the most benefits and could be the best sleeping positions. You just need to make sure you stretch out and support your spine. Getting the perfect mattress is important. Memory foam and pocket spring mattresses have become popular. You need something that will work with the shape of your spine, supporting you in the crucial points that aren’t meant to sag. Support the curvature within your back, make sure it remains straight throughout the night.
Box spring mattresses are among the worst to buy. They may be cheap, but the springs tend to break and pop into your back. You’re forced into awkward sleeping positions no matter whether you sleep on your front, side or back.
Whatever you do, avoid front sleeping. This is the worst sleeping positions for your overall health.
[wptabsy]
[tab].[/tab]
[tab].[/tab]
[tabcontent][/tabcontent]
[tabcontent]
Beat ‘’feeling tired’’ with our healthy tips for a better sleeping positions
Tip no 1:
Tea bags.
Feeling tired because you had the worst sleeping positions?
Don’t throw those used tea bags away especially if you had the worst sleeping positions the night before! Once they have cooled, pop a couple on your eyes and lie down for 10 minutes in a good sleeping positions. The natural astringent in the bags will soothe those dark circles under the eyes especially if you have had one too many the night before. Once you are done, put the bags in your compost bin and use a different one the next time you had the worst sleeping positions!
Tip no 2:
Bananas. If feeling tired and fatigued all the time is driving you nuts, keep off them (salted nuts that is) and try some bananas instead if you want a good sleeping positions. Packed full of potassium, bananas will give you a slow energy release, boosting your metabolism and relieving the symptoms commonly caused by eating too much sugar and fat before you sleep and have a good sleeping positions.
And if being tired and not having a good sleeping positions is stressing you out, why not get answers to common questions about anxiety and how to choose the best sleeping positions?
And you won’t be alone because many famous people suffer from anxiety too and believe me how a good sleeping positions can affect it.
Tip no 3:
Nuts (unsalted), especially pistachios, are high in vitamin B5 which increases your tolerance to stress and prevents adrenal exhaustion that’ll make you choose the best sleeping positions.
Tip no 4:
Get enough sleep the night before, make sure to have a good sleeping positions every time to keep you feeling comfortable when you wake up.
Having a good sleeping positions in bed can also help your blood flow better, Good sleeping positions has many benefit thats why it’s good to learn the best sleeping positions to have better sleep at night and to be more productive during morning. there are many articles and tips about the best sleeping positions that would suit your needs so feel free to do a research for the best sleeping positions you can have. Looking for the best sleeping positions will not just help you but also the people around you
[/tabcontent]
[/wptabsy]
