Sleeping Positions, have you ever thought about how your sleeping position may be affecting your spinal health?
Let’s keep it simple and look at sleeping on your TUMMY, SIDE and BACK.
Tummy Sleepers
- Create unnecessary sustained neck rotation and extension resulting in joint, ligament and muscle strain
- Have increase pressure on the lumbar (lower) spine via excessive arching
- May experience numbness and tingling in the upper limbs as a result of nerve compression or loss of blood flow to the hands
Side Sleepers
- Have neutral alignment of their spine (provided their mattress is not sagging)
- Are able to support the head and neck with a contoured pillow that has a depth equal to their ear-to-shoulder distance
- Can add a pillow between the knees to reduce pressure in the lower back and reduce pelvic rotation
Back Sleepers
- Have neutral alignment of their spine (provided their mattress is not sagging)
- Are able to support and promote the natural curve of the neck with a contoured pillow (thinner than one you would use if you were sleeping on your side)
- Promotes breathing through the nose instead of the mouth