Expert Reveals the Best, Absolute Worst Sleep Positions
In search of the best night's sleep, I have turned to the experts from Popular Science for help. It appears, for a good night sleep, how you are sleeping is more important than how long you are sleeping. This is good news for me, because, some nights, I'm not sleeping very long.
Popular Science spoke with a sleep medicine expert and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who says it’s not just about getting 8 hours of sleep each night, your sleep position is the key to waking up feeling great.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, most people sleep on their sides, but this position can cause shoulder and hip pain. Also, sleeping on your right side may even aggravate heartburn because a muscle in your esophagus that keeps acid in your stomach and out of your throat is loosened by the position. If you sleep on your left side, this muscle keeps the gap shut.
The absolute worst sleeping position? Lying on your stomach. Only 7 percent of people do this. Why? It puts pressure on your entire body. You're likely to wake up with numbness and tingling, and it can increase the chance of muscle and joint pain. To make it easier on your body, use a flatter pillow to reduce neck strain.
The best position for sleeping? On your back, which only 8 percent of people do. It's the best position for reducing aches and pain, and it doesn't cause heartburn because your head is elevated above your chest. The downfall to sleeping on your back is it increases the risk of snoring. So they tell me.
Source: Popular Science