Recommendation

The Healthy Sleeping Position

The Healthy Sleeping Position

Your sleeping position in bed plays a key role in determining whether your muscles can relax and recover during the night. In a poor sleeping position, the deep back muscles try to keep the body in its natural position. This can lead to tension and pain.

 

The Problem

Only relaxed muscles can truly recover during the night. However, depending on your sleeping position, this is not always the case. When lying on your stomach, the twisting of the spine and the sagging of the lower back (lumbar lordosis) are too severe for the muscles to recover. Additionally, pressure on the internal organs is high in this sleeping position. In the flat supine position, the back muscles are stretched and tense. The lower back is often unsupported in this position and lies hollow. Due to the stretched legs, the pelvis tilts backward and the leg muscles are stretched. In the side-lying position, however, we automatically bend both legs slightly and round our back. This relaxes the back muscles, and the pelvis also tilts forward. If there is enough space for the shoulders, the shoulder blades are nicely aligned one over the other. It is important that the shoulders are not pulled forward or backward. The resulting rotation would create compensatory muscle tension, which can lead to pain.

 

Tips:

  • Sleep on your side. Legs slightly bent, shoulder blades stacked one over the other and not rotated forward or backward
  • In the supine position, the body cannot relax properly because the back muscles, hip flexors, and the muscles at the back of the legs are stretched. In this sleeping position, be sure to slightly raise the upper body and bend the knees. This allows the hip, leg, and back muscles to relax.
  • Sleeping on your stomach must be avoided at all costs. Due to the twisted cervical vertebrae and the sagging lumbar vertebrae, the muscles cannot recover.
  • If your bed does not allow for a relaxed side or back position, it may simply be the wrong bed. A visit to a specialty bedding store that guarantees expert advice can help.
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