According to experts, the way you sleep in bed can cause more than just back pain, it also poses health risks. Your usual posture can cause pain, reflux, snoring, and even neurological symptoms that appear the next morning.
“What we’re concerned about is whether a person’s sleeping position is comfortable. Oftentimes we sleep a certain way for comfort,” Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep expert, told FOX News Digital.
However, the way we sleep can often cause discomfort. When we sleep in an awkward position, our bodies lie motionless in that position all night, adding stress not only to the nerves but also to the muscles and ligaments.
Contrary to popular belief, experts say: sleeping in a curled position It’s not necessarily related to what’s going on mentally or how much stress you’re under. So a physical approach to changing the way you sleep may be your best bet for reducing stress.
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“A person’s sleeping position has no meaning whatsoever about their psychological state, tension, stress, or trauma.”
If you sleep with your arms bent or tucked in, there is a risk of nerve damage. Nicknamed “Tyrannosaurus Posture” on social media, health experts say nighttime arm numbness is often related to nerve compression.
A 2023 review of cubital tunnel syndrome, in which people experience symptoms of numbness and severe pain in their forearms, specifically warns that sleeping with your elbows sharply bent or tucked under your pillow can increase pressure on the nerves and worsen your symptoms.
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Sleeping on your back may seem like a good idea to keep your arms outstretched, but it can lead to snoring and acid reflux, according to the Sleep Foundation. But it’s important to know the benefits and risks before flipping.
In a detailed breakdown of stomach sleeping, the Sleep Foundation points out that sleeping on your stomach can shift the alignment of your spine, which is linked to the cause of stomach sleeping. back, neck and shoulder painmainly because you have to twist your head to one side to breathe.
It’s also the least common sleeping position, despite evidence linking it to reduced snoring.
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Citing data from the Sleep Foundation, Harvard Health points out that side sleeping is the most common position and can be helpful for many people.
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The Mayo Clinic’s low back pain guidance recommends sleeping on your side with your knees slightly bent and a pillow between your legs to better align your spine, pelvis, and lower back, and to reduce pressure on your back.
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Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests and emphasizes that the older you get and the more medical problems you have, the more important your position becomes. supine or sideways position As a more supportive option.
Some medical centers and sleep resources recommend gradually transitioning to side or back sleep and using a thinner pillow (or no pillow at all) if you can’t immediately stop sleeping on your stomach to limit twisting of the neck and arching of the lower back.
If you can’t sleep regardless of your position, or if you feel like your sleep isn’t restorative, Harris recommends seeing a sleep specialist.
