The cute looking kitten shown above looks pretty comfy, huh? Now imagine yourself sleeping in that position. Some of us might be thinking how cozy that position would be - but a lot more of us are thinking about how when we wake up how our whole right side aching, how much our lower back would kill, and so on.
Your sleeping position is a cause and effect of your body's state of being. This is derived from the fact that your body is constantly compensating for proper support. If you have stomach cramps going to bed, you are going to sleep in a position that lessens the pain you feel in your stomach. When you wake up, your sleeping position from last night is going to affect the way your body feels in the morning, resulting in another compensation, which may carry on til the next time you go to bed...you get the picture. It's a cycle, a cycle that is probably intended to keep us balanced and healthy. But unfortunately, if your body gets out of synch, your sleeping position could be compensating in a way that is over-stressing another area of the body, creating an indeterminable number of problems.
Good sleep is about good support. There is no "best way" to sleep, since everyone's body is different, but there are definitely good ways to support your body when you are sleeping. Support can be provided by a good, firm mattress and putting pillows in the right places.
Although I can't assess anyone individually via the world-wide web, I can give some general tips that should help with some very common sleeping position pains. These are what I would say are the top three sleeping issues I have heard people complain of (bonus sleeping issue #4 is thrown in for my friend that has this problem). If my possible cause is most certainly not the cause of your sleeping position pain, read on. These are very general tips, and more likely than not, something here will improve your sleep experience.
Sleeping Position Issues and Tips
When I wake up...
1) my neck usually hurts.
This could be due to the way you position your pillow when you sleep. Pillows are supposed to prevent strain, but if used incorrectly they can cause strain instead. The neck is part of the spine, and when you fall asleep you should try to keep your spine in a neutral position. This means no neck tilts up or down. So if you sleep with your pillow propped under your chest and neck, or fold the pillow in half so your head is propped up, you are putting unnecessary strain on your neck. If you feel like your pillow is not giving you proper support, get a new one! Pillows are an external support system, and support systems sometimes lose their effectiveness Try sleeping with the pillow all the way under your head.
2) my lower back usually hurts.
If it is not a neck pillow problem, it is very likely you can alleviate some of the stress on your lower back with an extra pillow between/under the knees. If you sleep face up, trying putting a pillow underneath your knees. This will help to support your lower body and allows the back to maintain a neutral position. It works the same way if you sleep sideways; try putting a pillow between your knees so the pillow supports the area from your feet to your knees.
3) I snore so loudly I wake my partner/myself up.
There are a lot of reasons for snoring that I won't go into*, but your sleeping position can contribute to the severity of your snores. As the daughter of a human foghorn (I can actually hear him "signaling the ships" as I write this), I understand the pain and frustration that comes with snoring. Snoring is caused by the vibrations of the tongue or the palate, so if you sleep on your back, this could be causing your snoring, or at least making it worse. Sleep with the head in as neutral of a position as possible (meaning not tilted forward/backward/sideways) and this should help. There are also nasal strips and other devices you can use, and there is nothing wrong with those. SPECIAL TIP FOR FRIENDS/PARTNERS OF SNORERS: if you catch him/her snoring, try gently (so as not to wake them) tilting their chin up a couple inches. This can help open up the airway passages.
4) my arms drift above my head and I wake up with pins and needles.
I really wish I could help you, but unfortunately this is out of my scope of knowledge. For what it's worth, I can give you my opinion - drifting appendages may be your body trying to find a comfortable position. If the same body parts keep drifting, it is possible that you have tight upper back muscles that need attention. But sleep disorders are very complex, and it is likely to be a combination of things that are leading to your uncomfortable sleeping patterns. Go to a doctor if this is bothering you!
Though we don't really understand why, we know sleep is important. And sleeping in a good position is very much a part of getting a good night's sleep. So please, make sure you are getting proper rest. It makes for less grumpy people, and therefore a much happier world.
While researching this post, I stumbled upon a site about the different ways couples sleep together. This was my favorite:
*if you want more information on snoring, this site is well organized and as to-the-point as it gets.
No comments:
Post a Comment