Best Sleeping Positions for a Healthy Spine
Imagine you're sitting at your desk all day long and looking out the window nonstop for 8 hours. That's exactly what you do when you're lying on your belly while sleeping. Rest is obviously important for all of us, and as adults, we should be getting at least 6 hours of sleep per night to make sure that our bodies are properly rested, have enough time to heal throughout the evening, and are prepared for the next day. If we're not able to get that amount of sleep or if we're not able to sleep deeply through the night, then our bodies start to suffer.
Throughout the following days, we're subjected to more mental stress, anxiety, physical stress, and emotional stress as well. So, when it comes to your sleeping position, making sure that your spine is cradled and in a neutral position is the most important thing for your long-term joint health. Sleeping on your back is the ideal position for joint support throughout the spine, but you can also sleep comfortably on your side. The one thing we want to avoid is sleeping on the stomach.
If you're on your back, you can always put a little bit of bend in the knees with a pillow underneath them to keep some relaxation in your hamstrings and hips. When you're lying on your side, keeping the hips square can help alleviate hip pain and knee pain. Making sure that you sleep with a small pillow between your knees can help you stay in that position all night long.
Now, when it comes to sleeping on your belly, it might be comfortable for you at times, but it puts you in a really vulnerable position—not only for the spine but particularly for the top of the spine in your neck. Imagine you're sitting at your desk all day long and looking out the window nonstop for 8 hours. That's exactly what you do when you're lying on your belly while sleeping. As you can imagine, you're going to wake up in the morning feeling a little stiffer and more tired than you'd like.
The best thing we can do is support our spine by staying on our back or side in a good, restful position throughout the night.
