"While your consciousness rests, your body is still exposed to all external influences. The night is a time for regeneration. Our body regenerates so that we feel refreshed and ready for the day after waking up. However, this does not always happen automatically. When it comes to back and neck pain, your body needs a little help to avoid them."
The position in which you sleep has a direct impact on the health of your spine. Most of us wake up at some point in our lives with neck or back pain, and often our sleeping position is to blame. What can we do to fix this? In short, the path to a happy spine is to keep it neutral. Neutral means that your spine rests in its natural curve. Starting from the head and neck, it extends down to the tailbone, and at no point should you neglect it. Even things like a one-sided tilt of the hip/pelvis can twist your spine.
4 basic sleeping positions
Below you will find a breakdown of the four basic sleeping positions.
1. The generally best
On the back. Sleeping on your back distributes the weight evenly across the entire body and avoids unnatural or unnecessary curvatures of the spine. Use a small pillow under your head and neck (not under your shoulders) to keep the body in line. Even better is a small cylindrical pillow in the neck crease that supports the neck and keeps the head neutral on the mattress. However, note that this sleeping position can lead to snoring in some people.
2. Side sleeping with extended legs
This is a good alternative to sleeping on your back, especially if you tend to snore. If you place a thin pillow between your legs, you can align your spine, hips, and pelvis. However, pay attention to the pillow under your head. It should be only thick enough to create a straight line from your head and neck down your spine. Your shoulders should not be on the pillow.
3. Not so good
On the side, curled up with the legs towards the chest. This prevents the shoulders and neck from being aligned. Additionally, the weight is not evenly distributed across the whole body, which can lead to waking up with back pain in the morning.
3. To avoid
On your stomach. This position does not support the alignment of the spine and puts pressure on your joints. Additionally, since you cannot breathe through the pillow, your head is pushed to the side, causing your neck to twist.
Listen to what your body is telling you.
These are just the most general sleeping positions. As we all know, there are a thousand other ways we can position ourselves at night. So how do you distinguish a good sleeping position from one that leads to back and neck pain? As mentioned before, the most important question you should ask yourself when you lie down at night is: "Are my head, neck, and spine in a neutral position?" If so, the chances are pretty good that you can keep your body healthy for a longer time.
