Are you a side-line sleeper, or one that loves to sleep on your stomach? Maybe your favorite position is sleeping on your back. It appears your sleep position has a connection to pain. The Cleveland Clinic site has an article that discusses that topic. The key appears to be allowing the body to be in a neutral position while sleeping. Check out this YouTube video from ATHLEAN-X. The video discusses the best and worse sleep positions and how you can leverage that information to avoid painful mornings and days.
The video mentions that the worse sleeping position is sleeping on your stomach. That position puts a ton of strain on your body, especially on your neck, shoulders and back. Bottom line, this position should be avoided. Period. End of story! You have to wonder if people who sleep on their stomachs experience headaches, especially with how the neck is positioned all night. The recommended positions are sleeping on your side, aka “side-line” sleeper and its variations, and the best position, sleeping on your back. As the Cleveland Clinic article mentioned, “Aligning your head, shoulders and hips puts your body in a neutral posture that eases stress. Your goal should be to find a position that maintains and supports the natural curves in your back and neck.” The ATHLEAN-X video is in-line with that concept as well, stressing the need to find that sleeping position that places your body in a neutral position. Both agree that sleeping on your stomach is not recommended. It is interesting that the article tells you to avoid sleeping in a fetal position and the video states it is okay. However, you need to perform hip flexor stretches before sleeping, place a pillow between your knees when sleeping in the fetal position, and perform hip flexor stretches in the morning when you wake up.
I am a side-line sleeper, however, not in the fetal position. The pointers I got from the article and video were helpful, especially about the neck and shoulders. That fist “maneuver” to determine padding between your neck and the mattress was a good tip. Maybe that product called the “Pillow Cube” has some science behind it, and a possible purchase in the future? The pillow between the knees is a good tip, too, however, it is a bit uncomfortable for me, and so, I do not use it. Maybe it will work for you. Sleep is a critical component for our lives, and we should pamper our bodies, especially when we need to get a good night’s sleep.
To Your Success & Freedom,
Glenn Shimabukuro
