Conozca cuál es su postura ideal para dormir

The Best Sleeping Position for you


If you ask your acquaintances what they consider to be the best position for sleeping, most will probably answer that it is on their side, and the truth is that this is the tendency of most adults.  But is it the healthiest?

Although getting enough restful sleep is crucial to our health, quality of life and longevity, there have not been enough studies to accurately support all the ingredients involved in this physiological need that we have as a species.

To begin with, you may not even know what position you sleep in. You may be aware of the position in which you usually fall asleep and wake up, but not throughout the entire night.  According to studies carried out in Denmark and Norway and using different technologies, it was found that, in general, adults spent more than half of their time on their side, nearly 38% of their time on their back and 7% of their time on their stomach.  And the older people were, the more time they spent on the side.

The tendency to sleep on one's side appears to develop only in adulthood, as children over three years of age spend on average the same amount of time sleeping on their side, on their back and on their stomach.

Babies, on the other hand, sleep mostly on their backs, because they are placed that way in the crib for safety reasons.

 

What is the best sleeping position?

According to the Sleep Foundation, the best sleeping position is one that promotes natural spinal curvature, meaning the spine is aligned from the hips to the head. In your case, it depends on your health and where you feel comfortable.

However, there are some positions that are considered “healthier” than others. In particular, sleeping on your back or side is considered more favorable than sleeping on your stomach. It seems that either of these two positions facilitate spinal alignment, balance, and support. This relieves any pressure on the spine and allows the muscles to relax and you to get a restful night’s sleep.

To dig deeper, it turns out that certain sleeping positions provide specific benefits that could be helpful to you if you suffer from back pain or another condition. Perhaps trying a new position will provide relief and better quality of sleep as indicated by a study where a group of adults with back pain were taught to sleep on their backs or sides, resulting in significant pain relief in just four weeks.

 

The 8 most common sleeping positions and how they affect your health

  1. Lying on your back with your arms at your sides. This is considered the best position for your head, spine and neck, as long as you don't use too many pillows. However, people who tend to sleep on their back are more likely to snore and suffer from sleep apnea compared to those who sleep in other positions.

 

  1. Lying on your back with your arms up. Known as the “starfish” position, it is considered good for your back and also prevents facial wrinkles and skin rashes. However, like lying on your back with your arms at your sides, it can cause snoring and acid reflux (heartburn) problems for people with these tendencies. Also, having your arms up can put unnecessary pressure on the nerves in your shoulders that can eventually lead to pain and discomfort.

 

  1. Face down. Sleeping face down may help improve digestion, but it is necessary to turn and perhaps put too much pressure on the neck by turning the face to clear the airway. This position causes the curvature of the spine to lose support and can cause neck and back pain.

 

  1. Fetal position. Sleeping in a balled-up fetal position with your knees drawn up to your chest and your chin down can be comfortable at times, but it can put too much strain on your neck and back.
By exaggeratedly hunching your back as demonstrated in this position, you can restrict deep breathing. However, the fetal position may be best for women who are pregnant or have snoring problems.

 

  1. Side sleeping position with arms at sides. Unquestionably, the spine maintains better alignment and its natural curvature when sleeping in this position. Among the advantages of sleeping on the side are that it reduces back and neck pain, as well as the susceptibility to sleep apnea. However, the drawback is for those people who want to avoid premature facial wrinkles and sagging breasts, due to the force of gravity imposed by the posture and the pressure of one side of the face against the pillow.

 

  1. Side-lying position with arms extended. This position shares many of the advantages of sleeping with arms extended downward. However, sleeping on your side can cause discomfort in the shoulders and arms due to restricted blood flow and pressure on nerves, which can be aggravated by having your arms extended forward.

 

  1. Sleeping on the right side. Yes, the side you sleep on makes a difference too. If you suffer from acid reflux or heartburn, this position can make the condition worse, while sleeping on the left side can relieve pressure on some internal organs such as the liver, lungs and stomach, thereby tending to reduce the symptoms of heartburn. Pregnant women are generally advised to sleep on their left side as it improves blood circulation to the baby.

 

  1. Sleeping with a pillow for support. Some of these positions can improve spinal support with the addition of a pillow. You'll likely sleep better and wake up pain-free. Back sleepers can place a small pillow under the arch of their spine. Side sleepers may benefit from placing a pillow between their knees, while stomach sleepers can place a pillow under their hips to support their joints.

  

Possible drawbacks of sleeping in certain positions

Face up:

Sleeping on your back is not recommended for pregnant women; people who snore or have sleep apnea; people with some types of back pain; people with acid reflux; heavy adults and older adults.

The Sleep Foundation emphasizes that “more than half of people have position-dependent sleep apnea, meaning that the severity of their symptoms increases when they are lying on their back. Especially as we age or gain weight, it becomes more difficult to breathe while lying on our back, due to the pressure of gravity on the body.” ( article )

Similarly, while some people find relief from sleeping on their backs, others experience increased back pain. If this is the case, it can be helped by placing a thin pillow under the lumbar area of ​​your back or under your knees. Either way, the effect will be to remove pressure while supporting the natural curve of your back.

 

Face down:

It is not recommended for pregnant women, people with neck or back pain and people concerned about wrinkles.

Of all the sleeping positions, the stomach position provides the least support for the back and increases pressure on the spine, which sometimes causes pain when waking up. If your mattress is not firm enough, the stomach and hips sink, misaligning the spine and eventually causing back pain. Likewise, sleeping on your stomach may contribute to the formation of facial wrinkles as the face is pressed into the pillow or the surface of the mattress.

 

Sleeping on either side:

According to the Sleep Foundation, side sleeping is not recommended for people with shoulder pain or who are concerned about wrinkles.

Sleeping on your side can cause pain or tension in your shoulders, so at the very least, change your position from time to time and make sure you use a suitable pillow and mattress.

Sleeping on your side can also contribute to facial wrinkles. According to research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, facial wrinkles occur when you sleep on your stomach or on your side, as your face is pressed into the pillow, stretching and compressing the skin.

In an article published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal , a group of plastic surgeons suggests putting as little stress on the face as possible while sleeping, which excludes the possibility of sleeping face down. And if preserving your skin is more important to you than sleeping better or coping with pain or reflux, sleeping on your side is not ideal either.

 

So what is the ideal sleeping position?

On the surface, sleeping on your side seems to have several advantages, but the position you adopt can influence neck and back pain, and the side you sleep on can increase or reduce acid reflux. Snoring increases if you sleep on your back, but everyone varies, so the latter might still be the way you sleep best.

Now, if you have never had any problems waking up with pain in any part of your body and you also feel that you enjoy a restful sleep every night, it is possible that you are sleeping in the position that best suits your health and you should not bother changing it.

  

Can your mattress and pillow make a difference when sleeping?

Here, too, it depends on your habits and preferences. The Sleep Foundation suggests that your mattress should be flexible enough to “give,” allowing your shoulders and hips to be lower than the middle of your spine and thus not compromise the natural curvature of your spine.

I, for one, prefer the firmest mattress available as it gives the perfect support to my torso, allowing me to sleep very well (I consider myself a combination sleeper, but mainly on my back). However, once again, it is a matter of taste, habits and possible physical conditions that each person may suffer from.

Just like your mattress, the pillow you choose affects your comfort and quality of sleep.

Just as some mattresses are better for back sleepers, the same goes for some pillows. Not all back sleepers prefer the pillows that suit side sleepers, stomach sleepers, and combination sleepers.

As for the pillow, if you have already made the decision to try sleeping on your back, you need one of those pillows that provides adequate support to the neck.

Generally, back sleepers would need a pillow with a higher loft than pillows for stomach sleepers and a lower loft than pillows for side sleepers. The ideal pillow for back sleepers should support spinal alignment rather than arching the neck upward too much or allowing the head to sink in too much.

In this position, choose pillows of medium height and not too soft, otherwise the nape of your neck will rotate backwards and you will risk neck pain.

Which natural filling pillow is best for sleeping on your back?

Choose a pillow that is not too bulky: a large pillow is not for you. A pillow for sleeping on your back should not be more than 9 cm thick.

If you prefer to sleep on your side, the pillow should support your head and neck so that your cervical vertebrae are aligned with your spine. In addition, the pillow should be high enough for your shoulders to rest comfortably.

Loft, or thickness, is arguably the most important factor for side sleeping. Most side sleepers need pillows of medium to high thickness (4” – 6”) that cushion the head and neck without sinking in too much. If your thickness preferences vary from night to night, you may be a good candidate for a pillow with adjustable loft levels.

People who sleep on their stomach often complain of back pain and neck tension, as they are forced to turn their head and neck to breathe freely. Especially since the spine is barely supported in this position.

A firm mattress and a low pillow can help keep your spine aligned. A pillow under your hips can also help. Additionally, stomach sleepers should avoid turning their head to one side. The Sleep Foundation recommends a pillow height of 3-5 inches to provide support for stomach sleepers, but this will depend on other factors such as head size and personal preference. The pillow loft should support your head and neck, keeping them at a comfortable angle.

Ultimately, the best sleeping position is one that allows you to enjoy a restful, uninterrupted night's sleep so that you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, energized, and free of aches and pains. If that's your current position, don't feel obligated to change it. However, if you feel that a new position might make you sleep more comfortably, go ahead and try another position.

In any case, remember that you must be patient, use the strategies mentioned above to adapt to the new position and use the supports mentioned above to maintain it as long as possible during sleeping hours.

Sweet dreams!

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