What are the Healthiest Sleep Positions Types for Better Sleep?

1. What are the different types of sleeping positions?

There are 9 known positions: The Foetal Position, the Log, the Yearner, the Soldier, the free faller, the Starfish, the Stargazer, the Pillow Hugger, and the Thinker.

2. What do the different sleeping positions say about you?

3. What are the most common sleeping positions?

The Foetal, the Log, the Yearner, and the soldier are the most common positions.

4. How does the sleeping position affect the quality of sleep?
Your sleeping position can have an impact on your sleep quality. Whether you sleep on your side, stomach or back, your sleep position can be causing chaos to your sleep & your health. These are some ways your sleeping positions could be affecting your sleep quality…

• If the airway in your throat gets really small at night then you probably don’t want to sleep on your stomach.
• Sleeping on the side is best if you snore or suffer from sleep apnea and sleeping on back will make this worse for those who tend to snore.
• If you suffer from a lot of heartburn or GERD at night, then try sleeping on your left side. Studies have suggested that sleeping on the left side will relieve heartburn while sleeping on the right-side might actually make it worse.
• If you are pregnant, sleeping on your left-side can also improve blood circulation to your heart which is good for you and your baby.
• If you tend to wake up with a lot of neck pain in the morning, it could be because you are sleeping on your stomach or your back. In both positions, you tend to twist your head more as you try to get comfortable which can contribute to the neck pain. Those who sleep in their side tend to experience less pain in their neck, arms and shoulders.

Don’t change your natural sleep position. Go with what feels natural. When you try to force yourself into a new sleep position, you will only hurt the quality of your sleep however you can slowly start consciously working on better sleep patterns and change them, after all, practice makes perfect.

5. Which sleeping positions are the best ones for you?
Check out below, from best to worst.

i. On Your Back
Though it’s not the most popular position—only eight percent of people sleep on their backs—it’s still the best. By far the healthiest option for most people, sleeping on your back allows your head, neck, and spine to rest in a neutral position. This means that there’s no extra pressure on those areas, so you’re less likely to experience pain. Sleeping while facing the ceiling also helps ward off acid reflux. Just be sure to use a pillow that elevates and supports your head enough—you want your stomach to be below your esophagus to prevent food or acid from coming up your digestive tract.

ii. On Your Side
This position (where your torso and legs are relatively straight) also helps decrease acid reflux, and since your spine is elongated, it wards off back and neck pain. Plus, you’re less likely to snore in this snooze posture, because it keeps airways open. For this reason, it is a great choice for those with sleep apnea. Fifteen percent of adults choose to sleep on their side, but there’s one downside: It can lead to wrinkles because half of your face pushes against a pillow.

iii. In the Foetal Position
With 41 percent of adults choosing this option, it’s the most popular sleep position. A loose, foetal position (where you’re on your side and your torso is hunched and your knees are bent.) is good for snorers. But resting in a foetal position that’s curled up too tightly can restrict breathing in your diaphragm. And it can leave you feeling a bit sore in the morning, particularly if you have arthritis in your joints or back. Prevent these woes by straightening out your body as much as you can, instead of tucking your chin into your chest and pulling your knees up high. You can also reduce strain on your hips by placing a pillow between your knees.

iv. On Your Stomach
While this is good for easing snoring, it’s bad for practically everything else. Seven percent of adults’ pick this pose, but it can lead to back and neck pain since it’s hard to keep your spine in a neutral position.

6. Is there any side of the body that is best to sleep?
Sleeping on the right side can worsen heartburn. However, sleeping on the left side can put a strain on internal organs like the liver, lungs, and stomach, while reducing acid reflux. Pregnant women are advised to sleep on their left side for optimal blood flow

7. Is it better to sleep on your back or stomach?

Although sleeping on your stomach can reduce snoring and diminish sleep apnea, it’s also taxing for your back and neck. This can lead to poor sleep and discomfort throughout your day. So sleeping on the back with proper neck and back support is preferred.

8. Which positions are most detrimental and could aggravate muscle aches or lead to pulls?
On Your Stomach – Seven percent of adults’ pick this pose, but it can lead to back and neck pain since it’s hard to keep your spine in a neutral position. Plus, stomach sleepers put pressure on their muscles and joints, possibly leading to numbness, tingling, aches, and irritated nerves. It’s best to try to choose another position, but if you must sleep on your stomach, try lying face down to keep upper airways open—instead of with your head turned to one side—with your forehead propped up on a pillow to allow room to breathe.

9. Can sleep disorders be rectified by the way you sleep?
Yes. Physiological sleep disorders may be corrected once diagnosed by choosing a specific position that does not have an effect on the quality of sleep and also by modifying the positions according to individual needs. Certain wrong sleeping postures put unwanted pressure on the muscles of respiration including the diaphragm and cause difficulty in breathing or even snoring. For example sleep apnea is very common in the flat position, however, when the upper body is slightly elevated, it automatically eases the breathing. Snoring gets better by sleeping on the sides. Backaches are eased with a supporting towel roll under the knees.

10. We can’t easily change the way we sleep/our sleep position but are there any tweaks we can make to improve them?

• Keeping a sleep diary
• Make your bedroom pitch black
• Make your bedroom as quiet as possible
• Have a warm bath before bed
• Create the Ideal room temperature for sleeping
• Figure out your ideal sleeping position
• Have a regular sleep schedule
• Reduce the duration of day time naps
• Limit the intake of caffeine to before 6 to 8 hours from bedtime
• Avoid radiation from blue lights like from gadget & screens
• Sleep Aromatherapy – Partake in the magical smell of sleep-inducing scents
• Nutritional sleep aids – consume foods, drinks and supplements that help you sleep better such as chamomile teas, St John’s wart, etc
• Invest in good quality mattresses that are bio-mechanically supportive
• Maintain regular exercise routines
• Meditation practices also help improve sleep quality.

11. Why is sleeping on the back the worst of all the sleeping positions for those who suffer from sleep apnea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is caused by incorrect sleeping posture. As a person sleeps, they assume a resting posture. This can affect many aspects of a person’s rest, from muscle fatigue or soreness, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping. With OSA the issue is directly related to the person’s posture while sleeping. Sleeping on ones back with high pillows puts the head forward closing off or restricting the airway. This is also a major cause of snoring. By changing the posture to lying on your side, with the correct level of the pillow, that sleep apnea can be completely eliminated. For extreme cases of sleep apnea a more upright/seated posture, and using a prop cushion have proven to help with this issue.

Read how a sleep retreat can help you beat insomnia & poor sleep