What is the best way to sleep?

My patients generally ask me, “What is the best way to sleep?” to which I always reply, “Well, what position do you sleep in?” The reason for this answer is that by just tweaking a few things here and there, you can get a restful and comfortable night’s rest no matter what position you actually sleep in.

Back sleepers

Yes, this is actually the preferred sleeping position because it puts the least amount of stress on your spine, IF you:

Place a cervical roll or rolled towel under your neck. Make sure your head is in a neutral position (not looking up or down). If you find that you cannot be “in neutral” then you need a smaller roll.

Put a pillow under your knees – this takes the stress out of you.

of your lower back. You could buy a special pillow for this, but a

The normal pillow works well.

Side sleepers

-If you sleep on your side, follow these tips to minimize the

amount of stress on the spine.

Use a cervical pillow. Ideally, the pillow should take into account the width of your shoulders. The wider the shoulders, the higher the pillow should be. This is because you want to keep your neck in a neutral position. Not only will you feel more comfortable if you have pain in your hip joint, this definitely helps and causes tingling or numbness in your arms.

Sleep on your belly

This position puts the most stress on your neck.

In this position, you have your head turned to one side or the other for hours. This is quite stressful on the muscles and joints of the neck.

Your body will try to change your position to compensate. This is why people who toss and turn more sleep on their stomachs.

To sleep more comfortably (stomach sleepers):

Put a pillow under your waist and don’t use a pillow for your head.

Remember that there are other variables that will affect the quality of your sleep, such as the condition and firmness of your mattress. If your mattress is too old, it will sag and not provide enough support.

Avoid super soft mattresses as they may feel comfortable in the

at first, but in the morning, the lack of support will make you sore. Your mattress should be firm, but not hard to provide adequate support.

As with anything else, if any of these recommendations cause increased pain, see your chiropractor; There may be other factors present that should be checked by a professional.

Sweet Dreams!