Do sleeping positions matter? Yes. especially if you suffer from insomnia. Here are the best sleep positions for people with Insomnia to optimize their sleep.
It’s 1:00 in the morning, you have spent the last two hours changing sleep positions with the hope that if you could get in the right sleep position, you’ll be fast asleep. Before you know it it’s 4:00 am and you must up in the next 2 hours for work.
If this sounds like you, your sleep position could play a significant role in improving your sleep quality. Which means it’s time to leverage your sleep position to get better sleep.
Best Position
Flat on the back
Sleeping on the back is generally considered the healthiest sleeping position. The benefits include; minimizing gravity-induced wrinkles, preventing back and neck pain, reducing acid reflux, and maintaining back pain.
You can leverage this position by adding breathing exercises to it if you are having trouble sleeping.
Lie on your back with a comfortable pillow to support your head and neck without propping your head too high, arms lose and comfortably placed on the sides. Focus on your breath as you would if you were meditating, breathe gently in and out, continue to do so this for at least 10 minutes.
Next, tense your feet and legs, hold the tension for a few seconds and relax, do this for thighs, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, neck, and face. Tense and relax each of them as you work your way up to the face.
Again, focus on your breath and gently breathing in and out until you feel relaxed. Using these relaxation techniques while laying flat on the bed will calm thoughts and anxiety down and help you go to sleep quicker instead of spending hours changing positions and your mind racing.
I find this helpful to help me fall asleep quicker if am struggling, along with other bedtime rituals.
Next Best Position
Side Position
Side-sleeping is the next best option for general health and wellbeing. The benefits of sleeping on the side include; reducing snoring, keeping the spine elongated, preventing acid reflux, and it is suitable for pregnant women.
I strongly recommend that you do the breathing exercises while lying on the back until you feel relaxed then switch to the side position if this is most comfortable for you.
Positions to Avoid
Sleeping on the stomach
Sleep experts consider this the least healthy of all sleeping position because it puts unnecessary pressure on internal organs in the stomach. It can also limit the intake of oxygen at night. Furthermore, sleeping on the stomach tends to interfere with the spine’s natural shape; this often leads to waking up with lower backache.
Fetal Position
Most of us, especially women, sleep curled up on the side as we did in our mother’s womb. This position is not recommended because it leads to joint pain in the knees and restricts diaphragmatic breathing.
Notes
We become unconscious of the sleep position as soon as we drift off to sleep, so don’t stress about the position if you are healthy.
The breathing techniques while lying flat on your back are strictly for relaxing if you are having trouble sleeping and find yourself tossing in different sleep positions to fall asleep.
Happy Sleeping!
If you have any questions, please ask in the comment section below.
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