Sleeping Positions - Our Guide

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When it comes to your sleeping position, you may find yourself sleeping the same way almost every night or that you like to mix it up depending on how you and your body’s feeling. The way you sleep often comes down to a personal preference that’s been formed over many years, but sometimes you may have to sleep in a certain way due to an injury or general aches and pains that rear their ugly head. 

Either way, there’s no doubt that each and every sleeping position offers your body a different level of support and whilst it may be very hard to change now, you might find that your sleeping position isn’t very good for you and may be aggravating or causing issues. 

We’ve taken a look at the various sleeping positions, their pros and cons and also looked to answer the most common questions surrounding the best sleeping positions for different situations and ailments. 

Why Do Sleeping Positions Matter?

Getting a good night’s sleep is so integral to our way of living. Getting enough rest sets us up for the day ahead, ensuring that we’re alert, thinking and soaking up information clearly, reacting to events around us effectively and puts us in a better mood to get along with others. 

Plus, whilst we’re asleep, our bodies are working hard to repair muscles, regenerate tissues, strengthen our immune systems, form long term memories and much more. 

Our sleeping positions can help us to have uninterrupted sleep, helping our brain and body to do their thing with little interruption. Your sleeping position can also impair or support your spinal alignment, help to alleviate or increase the likelihood of sleep apnea and snoring and can have an effect on the likelihood of acid reflux too. 

That’s why it’s so important to choose a sleeping position that you’re comfortable in, but isn’t inadvertently causing any issues that may either affect you now or further down the line. 

The Different Sleeping Positions

So what options do I have? We hear you ask. Surprisingly there’s actually quite a lot of different sleeping positions you can try out, with different variations within each of the three ‘main’ sleeping positions: on your back, side or stomach. Each position has its own set of pros and cons, let’s take a closer look at them…

Back Sleeping

Otherwise known as the supine position, sleeping on your back is one of the best sleeping positions to help with a variety of ailments. Even if for many, it can feel like a rather unnatural position to sleep in. 

Helps With Spinal Alignment

Sleeping on your back can help to keep your spine aligned (as long as you aren’t using a mountain of pillows) and help to reduce back and neck pain as the position essentially mimics standing up straight. This reduces the pressure on your spine, especially if you sleep with both hands on your chest or by your side. 

Can Help Improve Breathing Quality

Backsleeping can also help to improve your breathing quality by putting less pressure on your diaphragm than sleeping on your belly or side. Deeper breathing is also associated with melatonin production, which is a hormone that promotes relaxation, helps to induce sleep and increases the activity within the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for the body’s ‘rest and digest’ response, which promotes relaxation and the conserving of energy. 

Help To Relieve Sinus Buildup

Sleeping on your back can also help to relieve sinus buildup as you’re sleeping with your head elevated above your heart. When your head is in a down position, mucus pools in the sinuses, but when you sleep with your head elevated, it relieves congestion and helps to prevent the clogging of your nasal passages.

Helps With Tension Headaches, Skin Breakouts & Even Prevent Wrinkles

Back sleeping also take pressure off your head and as such can help to prevent cervicogenic headaches, which are headaches that are rooted in your cervical spine and can often get confused with migraines due to their severity. Your pillowcases easily absorb all the daily dirt, grime and any product residue from your head and as such, this can easily be transferred to your face whilst you sleep. So why not avoid face to pillow contact altogether by sleeping on your back?

Lastly, sleeping on your back can even help to keep wrinkles at bay for longer. Sleeping with your face on your pillow can pinch, pull and irritate your skin, which can result in the premature development of wrinkles. So by sleeping on your back you can look to avoid this. 

Not Good For Sleep Apnea

However, sleeping on your back isn’t suitable for everyone, especially those of you who suffer from sleep apnea. Gravity can cause your tongue to fall back in your mouth where it can obstruct your breathing, waking you up. 

Increases Chances Of Snoring

In line with sleep apnea and the worsening effect back sleeping can have on the condition, it’s also not a good idea to sleep on your back if you’re prone to snoring. Whilst sleep apnea can cause snoring, it’s also caused by other issues and back sleeping creates the perfect environment for it. Similar to the disturbance it causes to sleep apnea, gravity can make your tongue and soft palate to relax and fall back into your throat, thus narrowing the airway. This narrowing can lead to vibrations in the throat tissues as air passes through, resulting in snoring. 

Side Sleeping

This is by far the most popular sleeping position enjoyed worldwide and whilst it’s actually surprising how few studies have been conducted on favoured sleeping positions, side sleeping often always comes out on top. It can help with sleep apnea, snoring and acid reflux too. 

Helps The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

Side sleeping is the position that’s most recommended to people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to the fact it can help to reduce airway collapse and improve your breathing quality, especially when compared to back sleeping.

When sleeping on your side, you reduce the likelihood of your tongue and soft tissues in your mouth, moving into a position that obstructs the freedom of air movement. It may even be more beneficial to sleep on your right side than your left due to the differences in blood flow to and from the heart when sleeping on that side. 

Can Help Reduce Snoring

Whilst sleeping on your side is unlikely to prevent snoring entirely, it can have a positive effect when it comes to reducing the symptoms, especially when compared to sleeping on your back. It helps to keep your airways more open, reducing the chances of the soft tissues in your mouth vibrating and causing snoring symptoms. 

Alleviates Acid Reflux Symptoms

Studies have shown that sleeping on your left side can help to alleviate the symptoms of acid reflux, otherwise known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It reduces the buildup of stomach acid in the oesophagus and in turn, reduces the likelihood of reflux episodes. 

Helps Digestion

Sleeping on your left side can help to encourage bowel movements and keep them regular as clockwork. This is because whilst sleeping on your left side, gravity can help to take waste products through the ascending colon (positioned on the right side of your body), through the transverse colon and finally into the descending colon, ready for you to visit the toilet in the morning. 

Can Help Back Issues

Whilst back sleeping is very beneficial for back pain and spinal alignment, side sleeping can also be beneficial too, especially with lower back pain. However it’s important that you keep your hips, pelvis and spine aligned more naturally whilst doing so. A great way to do this is to place a pillow in between your legs where your knees meet, helping to relieve strain on your back. 

Can Cause Shoulder Pain

Side sleeping can unfortunately put pressure on your shoulder and cause pain upon waking and throughout the day. This is because the shoulder can essentially collapse into your mattress and up towards your neck too, which causes misalignment and subsequent pain. However a firmer mattress and pillow can actually help to alleviate the risk and keep your head straight and more in line with your shoulders. 

Sleeping On Your Stomach

Going to sleep on your stomach is probably the worst way you can sleep due to the number of issues it can contribute towards. Whilst it can help to reduce snoring and sleep apnea (but so can side sleeping), it’s unfortunately doing no favours for your back and neck due to the unnatural position sleepers often find themselves in.

Can Help To Reduce Snoring & Sleep Apnea

Whilst sleeping on your stomach can help to alleviate the symptoms of snoring and sleep apnea, side sleeping can also do exactly the same, without a lot of the disadvantages that sleeping on your stomach has. 

Can Misalign Your Spine

Rather alarmingly, sleeping on your stomach can actually cause you to misalign your spine and it makes sense when you think about it. When sleeping on your stomach, your belly is sinking into the mattress, as that’s where most of the weight is in your body and as such you’re arching your spine away from its neutral position. This additional stress on your spine can cause pain and strains in other areas of your body as it’s the central pipeline for the nerves in your body. 

Can Increase Neck & Shoulder Pain

When you sleep on your stomach, you have to also turn your head sideways to be able to breathe through the night. This puts your head and spine out of alignment and whilst you won’t notice the strain and pain after one or two nights, constantly sleeping in this position can certainly develop neck problems over time. Sleeping on your stomach also causes you to often put your shoulder into an unnatural position too, causing strain and discomfort over time.  

Common Sleeping Position Questions

Now you know the general pros and cons of each sleeping position, we’re going to take a look at the best sleeping positions for various ailments and conditions.

What Is The Best Sleep Position For Lower Back Pain?

We’re going to suggest two positions here to help you with your lower back pain. For side sleepers, we recommend lifting your legs up slightly and placing a pillow between your legs where your knees meet. This can help to align your spine, pelvis and hips, reducing pressure on your spine. 

For those of you who sleep on your back, you’ll want to ensure your neck is properly supported by your pillow, ensuring it’s kept in alignment with your chest and back. Additionally you should place a pillow underneath your knees as this can help to relax your back muscles and help to maintain the natural curve of your lower back. 

What Is The Best Sleeping Position For Neck Pain?

The best sleeping position to help with neck pain is generally on your back, especially if you use a thinner pillow to help keep your head and neck centrally aligned with your spine. This also ensures your head is only slightly raised, mimicking the position it would be in if you were standing up straight. 

However sleeping on your side can help too and is definitely recommended if you suffer from sleep apnea or snoring. It’s important to use a pillow that keeps your neck high enough so that it’s in a neutral position with your spine, but not so high that your upper ear is forced towards your shoulder. 

What Is The Best Sleeping Position For Sciatica?

The shooting pains associated with Sciatica is no fun is it? So anything that can help to relieve its symptoms is worth a try. Research suggests that the best way to relieve sciatica symptoms when it comes to your sleeping position is to lie on your back with one or more pillows underneath your knees to elevate them. This can relieve pressure on the lower back and sciatic nerve. 

But sleeping on the side that’s pain free has also proven to help sufferers of sciatica, especially when you position a pillow in between your legs too. Investing in a medium-firm mattress is also a great idea to help alleviate sciatica symptoms. 

What Is The Best Sleeping Position During Pregnancy?

Whilst pregnant, you want to do everything you can to protect your baby and provide them with all the nutrients they need to be strong and healthy. The safest and most recommended position to sleep whilst you’re pregnant is on your left side. Not only is side sleeping the safest position for you and your bump, but sleeping on the left side especially can help to increase blood flow to the uterus and fetus too. 

Using pillows around you to help support you wherever needed is a great idea too. Just try to avoid sleeping on your back as it can contribute towards your back pain and increase pressure on your heart. It goes without saying that you should also not sleep on your stomach.

What Is The Best Sleeping Position For Peripheral Artery Disease?

The best sleeping position for anyone who suffers from peripheral artery disease is whichever position provides you comfort and relief from the pain and numbness in your legs that may keep you awake. Whilst more studies are required to definitely suggest one sleeping position over the other, sleeping on your back or side is a good idea. 

Sleeping on your back with your head elevated and your legs in a natural position can help to encourage the flow of blood downwards, helping to decrease pain in your legs. However, if you also suffer from sleep apnea or snoring, it’s recommended that you opt for sleeping on your side. 

What Is The Best Sleeping Position For Acid Reflux?

When it comes to gastroesophagal reflux disease (GERD) it’s recommended for you to sleep on your left side. By sleeping with your left side down, it reduces the likelihood of reflex episodes and helps to reduce the amount of stomach acid exposure your oesophagus gets.

You may also want to look into investing in an adjustable bed, as sleeping with the top of the bed elevated by at least six inches can also really help to alleviate symptoms. 

What Is the Best Sleeping Position For IT Band Pain?

As the largest strip of fascia in your body, it’s highly susceptible to overuse and injury. This is especially true for cyclists and runners who often suffer from iliotibial band syndrome. It can cause a lot of pain, making getting some shut eye more difficult. 

The recommended position to sleep in with IT band issues is on your back with your legs elevated by a pillow. This can help to alleviate pressure and tension in your hips, helping you to get a good night’s sleep. 

What Sleeping Position Provides Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief?

Your sacroiliac joints connect the base of your spine to your pelvis and as such, any damage to that area can cause pain in your lower back, buttocks and may even travel down the back of your thigh to your knee. This pain may even worsen at night due to inactivity, especially if you lay on the affected side. 

It’s recommended that instead you either sleep with the affected side facing up or on your back. Either way, it’s also recommended that you sleep with a pillow either in between your knees when on your side or below them when on your back. This can help to relieve pressure on the sacroiliac joint. 

Sleep Soundly Tonight

Hopefully our guide to the various sleeping positions and their pros and cons have helped you to consider a new sleeping position to help with an existing ailment or look to prevent any future ones. It’s so important that you sleep in a position that supports your entire body, makes you feel comfortable and allows you to get an uninterrupted night’s sleep to allow your body to heal. 

Alongside your sleeping position, your choice of mattress is a really important decision, ensuring you choose the right firmness level for your sleeping preferences and needs. If you need any help with selecting the right mattress for your needs or would like to know more about mattress firmness levels, check out our guides or get in touch with our expert team today.