How To Find The Best Sleep Position For You
Sleep issues in women are, well, an issue.
According to the National Sleep Foundation in the US, half of all women regularly wake up feeling unrefreshed, which can have dramatic effects on wellbeing.
What's to blame? Not just too-few hours in the sack. The way you lie down is a major factor in the quality of your slumber. The wrong sleep position can cause muscle cramping, impair circulation, and leave you hurting come the a.m.
And for the millions of women with preexisting aches (such as back pain) a bad sleep pose can spark a vicious cycle: it can exacerbate pain, which can lead to insomnia, which can lead to more health woes, which can lead to even more sleepless nights.
Now for the help: it's relatively easy to switch up your mattress stance. Read on to score better sleep, starting tonight.
How to find the right sleep position for you
If You Have. . . Heartburn
Lie on your left side
"Because of where our organs are situated, sleeping on the left puts less pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter," says sleep specialist Priyanka Yadav, D.O., of the Sleep for Life Center in Hillsborough, New Jersey. (That sphincter is the hatch that food passes through on its way to the gut. When it's stressed, burning stomach acid can creep back up, irritating your throat.)
Lie on your left side with your arms resting comfortably in front of you. Bend your knees and curl your legs slightly toward your upper body into a semi-foetal position. If you have really bad heartburn, roll onto your back and use a few pillows to prop up your chest and head. Or raise the head of your bed by up to six inches by slipping bricks under your bed frame.
If You Have. . . Back Pain
Lie on your side, with your legs supported
Some 40% of women suffer spinal issues, according to The Clinical Journal of Pain, and many of those originate-or get worse-between the sheets, because a wonky sleep pose can throw off spinal alignment for hours, says Robert S. Rosenberg, D.O., medical director of the Sleep Disorders Centers of Prescott Valley and Flagstaff, Arizona.
The key is to keep your spine in a neutral, naturally curved position. Lie on your side and put a slight bend in your knees, stacking your hips in a straight line (letting your top hip flop forward will rotate your lumbar spine, fuelling more pain). Place a firm pillow or two in between your knees so that your legs are propped about hip-width apart. Your arms can relax out in front of you. If this feels funny at first, don't give up. Sleeping with extra padding takes practise.
If You Have. . . Sinus Pain
Lie on your side, propped up
Anytime you're congested-be it from allergies, a sinus infection, or a plain old cold-avoid snoozing on your back. Doing so means your mouth can fall open during the night, drying out what's stuffed you up (hardened mucus can keep you congested, says Rosenberg).
Instead, lie on your side with an extra pillow under your head and let gravity help with drainage. Don't forget that when your head is up high, your arms will need extra support, so hug a pillow. Arrange your legs in a comfy, slightly bent pose.
If You Have. . . Shoulder Pain
Lie on your side, in a "hug" pose
Shoulder pain has many culprits (a heavy handbag, slouching), but chief among them is a thorny side-sleeping position. Yep, sleeping on your side can both cause and alleviate shoulder pain. It's all in the particulars, says Rosenberg.
Many women make the mistake of tucking their bottom arm under their head, which strains the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that controls the shoulder, arm, and hand. "It's like sleeping with a 10-pound weight on your arm, and it pinches the nerves," he says.
First, keep off your sore side. Lie on your pain-free side with your legs slightly bent. Extend your bottom arm straight out in front of you, then bring it in, using both arms to hug a pillow to your chest. As with back pain, avoid flopping your top leg forward (to help alignment, place a pillow between your thighs).
If both shoulders are aching, switch to a back pose and keep your arms relaxed at your sides.
If You Have. . . PMS
Lie on your back
Weird but true: When you're moody, bloated, and crampy, avoid curling up in a ball in bed-or passing out on your stomach. Lying on your side lets gravity tug on already-tender breast ligaments (ouch!); lying face down puts excess weight and pressure on your uterus, causing irritation and more cramping, says Rosenberg.
Get your best PMS shut-eye on your back. Place a pillow under your knees to keep your lower spine from arching too much, which could amp up soreness in the lower back. Keep your arms neutral at your sides. (If you're still sore, try putting another pillow under your knees for even more lower-body support.)
If You Have. . . Sore Hips
Lie on your back
Around 15 percent of women have bursitis, also known as "runner's hip," a painful condition that stems from inflammation of the hip joint. Ouch-all-night bursitis can make z's seem impossible, but there is a solution: Get off your side.
"Sleeping on your injured side is the last thing you want to do," says Yadav. Side-lying poses put undue pressure on your hips, pushing them into the mattress. Dozing on your back gives your hips a break from the near-constant stress of walking and sitting all day. If it feels good, prop a pillow under your knees for added support.
If You Have. . . An Ache-y Jaw
Lie on your back, face up
Nighttime teeth-grinding, or bruxism, is a genetic condition that affects about 8 percent of adults. It has been linked to stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders; it also does a painful number on your teeth and jaw-and can even change the shape of your face! If you suspect you grind at night, lie on your back and face the ceiling.
This allows the lower jaw to fall into a natural position and the facial muscles to relax, says Carolyn Taggart-Burns, D.D.S., of the Academy of General Dentistry. "I tell my patients to sleep on their back with their lips closed but teeth open," she says. To lower your chances of turning your head, try to keep your arms straight at your sides (people often subconsciously turn toward a bent arm).
If You Have. . . A Stiff Neck
Lie on your back
Those pancake-flat pillows you've had since college aren't doing your neck any favours. (Ditto for those extra-puffy numbers you found on sale.) A pillow that puts your noggin on an upward or downward slope can compress the cervical spine, strain neck muscles, and cause soreness-especially if you're lying on your stomach or side, says Laelle Martin, D.C., a chiropractor in Tacoma, Washington.
Most people with neck pain benefit from sleeping on their back with their neck in a neutral position, which involves finding a pillow that supports that alignment. Keep your arms relaxed and by your sides; don't let them sneak up behind your head.
If you know your neck pain stems from something like a herniated disk, ask your doctor about skipping a pillow altogether and sleeping with your head flat on the mattress, which can help straighten the neck.
This article originally appeared on womenshealthmag.com
