The posture that you adopt when you sleep, can have an impact on your back an even on your health. Improper posture maintained for prolonged periods can cause back and neck pain, fatigue, circulatory problems in some areas, heartburn or headaches. In this article I give you some tips so that you have a restful sleep and completely relaxed awakening.
On your back
This posture while you sleep allows your head, neck and spine rest in a neutral position so you are less likely to experience pain. You can even improve this position using a small pillow under the knees; this decreases the lumbar curvature which resulting in a greater muscle relaxation. You should also use a small pillow under the head in order to fill the space between the curvature of the neck and the mattress so that the head is in neutral position. If the height of the pillow is too high or too low, your neck will be abnormally bent out of alignment and can cause headaches and muscle tension.
On your side
When talking about back pain it seems that sleeping on your side is the best option, this posture while you sleep keeps your spine straight or lined up that will make your muscles relax an have an excellent rest. You just put your knees slightly bent and use a pillow between your legs. You can also put the pillow in front of the lower leg and put your upper leg on the pillow. What is most important is to avoid your upper leg falling over the leg below because this will cause a rotational force in your spine which could lead to pain.
In addition, it is important to use a small pillow under your head in order to keep the neck straight.
On your stomach
This is the worst position to sleep because it can lead to low back pain since it is difficult to keep your spine in neutral position, and it increases the pressure on your muscles and joints. besides that it can lead to neck pain since your head is turned to one side for breath, that create tension on cervical joints and muscles in the area.
Another important aspect to be mentioned is the mattress. A good mattress should not be too hard or too soft but sufficiently firm and comfortable so that contact can not be excessive pressure in any area and it should also provide proper alignment of spine.
Finally it is essential to consider that the best posture and the best mattress is the one that allow you to have an adequate sleep and rest.
