We don’t often think about our spines when we’re lying in bed. But our sleep posture can help determine whether or not we experience back pain. So when you turn in for the night, remember these tips from physical therapist Marleen Caldwell, PT, MS, Cred MDT: Choose a well-made innerspring or foam mattress, or add a foam mattress topper to your innerspring mattress for additional support. You can also alter your sleep position or use pillows to keep your spine neutral. The best position for sleeping is on your back. The worst position for sleeping is on your stomach due to the unnatural position of your neck. Sleeping on your back evenly distributes weight across the widest surface of your body, minimizing pressure points and ensuring proper alignment of your internal organs. RELATED: What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep Some evidence suggests that habitually sleeping on one side on an ill-fitting mattress may contribute to muscle imbalance, pain, and in some cases, scoliosis.
Always sleeping on the same side suspends the middle of your body between your hips and shoulders, the broadest parts of the trunk. Place a pillow between your knees as shown below to keep hips, pelvis and spine aligned. Whichever sleep position you choose, position your pillow beneath your head and neck, and not your shoulders. If you sleep on your back, make sure the pillow fills the space between your neck and the mattress to maintain your head in neutral position, as illustrated below. If you sleep on your side, use a thicker pillow, also shown below. If your hips are wider than your waist, a softer mattress can accommodate the width of your pelvis and allow your spine to remain neutral, as shown below. If your hips and waist are in a relatively straight line, a more rigid surface offers better support. RELATED: 4 Simple Stretches to Help Alleviate Back Pain (Video) Pregnancy & Bed Rest Learn About Our Beds To get started and receive a free catalog about our beds.
We want you to enjoy quality and comfort from Easy Rest! How Side Sleepers Can Find Sleep In An Adjustable Bed We all have our favorite positions for sleep and a common misconception is that you can’t sleep on your side in an adjustable bed. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Sleeping on your side in an adjustable bed is easy and many adjustable bed owners enjoy sleeping on their side every night. One reason people think that you can’t sleep on your side in an electric bed is because most companies only show photographs of people on their backs in order to best show how the bed cradles your body when adjusted. But because we are the adjustable bed specialists we know that people can use adjustable beds in many ways and for many different reasons. See also: Tips to Get Better Sleep Side sleeping can easily be accomplished with the head of the bed raised to a position of comfort for each individual. Depending on how high the head of the bed is raised sleeping on your side is best accomplished when you sleep with your knees slightly bent.
Most people naturally do this when sleeping on their side anyway. Side sleepers can also find rest with the foot raised to a mild degree. Easy Rest customers report that they enjoy both sleeping and relaxing on their sides to provide temporary relief to a variety of health issues. Side sleepers who suffer from gastric reflux, nighttime heartburn or hiatal hernias may find temporary relief from their symptoms by sleeping with the head elevated. Additionally, side sleepers may find temporary relief of minor aches and pains due to muscular fatigue or overexertion and they may find that light or occasional snoring may be reduced when sleeping in an upright position. For more information on how an adjustable bed may help you find a better quality sleep, simply fill out this form and we’ll send you our free catalog.We will spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so it makes sense to spend time, thought and money on which mattress we buy. The right one, say Deane Halfpenny – a consultant in musculoskeletal pain medicine – and osteopath Rehana Kapadia, can ensure you are not only more comfortable, but healthier, too.
Kapadia recommends investing time trying them out. “Some people just go into the shop and press them to see how they feel, ” she says, “but I would say you should lie down for 20 minutes on each one. If you just hop on and off, it’s hard to imagine how you will feel after an eight-hour sleep.” Halfpenny agrees and says spending as much as you can afford on a bed is a good long-term investment in your health – especially when they typically last between seven and 10 years. “In sleep studies where you observe patients through the night, you see how much we all move when we sleep. But if you are uncomfortable, you move constantly and your sleep is not as restful as it should be. “Undisturbed sleep is important because of the fluctuating hormones that are released when we sleep. Disturbed sleep disrupts these patterns. Our bodies are constantly breaking down and rebuilding, and restorative sleep allows your muscles to relax and improves blood flow – [especially] to the discs in your back, which normally have poor blood flow.
If your muscles are tense, you won’t get that restorative blood flow.” Kapadia advises choosing a mattress that is supportive as well as comfortable. “Patients often think they should be getting a firm, orthopedic mattress. But, actually, if your mattress is too firm, you can end up with hyperlordosis, where the arch in your back is exaggerated.” Instead, you should think about a mattress that is soft enough to allow you to sink into it, while firm enough to support you. “It’s about surface area and pressure,” says Halfpenny. “The more of your body that is in contact with the mattress, the less pressure on your shoulders or hips.” Halfpenny says that, if you choose the right mattress, whichever position you sleep in will be comfortable and healthy. She says the optimum position for sleep – to avoid back problems or ligament strain – is on your side with your knees bent. This is because it allows your body – from the back of your head, through your neck, spine and pelvis – to align.
“Even without pillows, your neck, spine and pelvis should be in line, so that you aren’t twisted, or turned in on yourself,” she says. “If you sleep on your front – it doesn’t matter how good the mattress – you will twist your neck and back; your head will be turned to the side and your leg probably twisted up. Even sleeping on your back with your legs straight can put strain on your lower back.” She says that, although many people think they have little control over the positions they adopt in their sleep, it is possible to train yourself to sleep on your side – and doing so is a good idea to avoid long-term back problems. However, because our shoulders and hips are our broadest points, even lying on your side on a too-firm surface can throw this alignment out, says Kapadia. “You can get a lumbar spine sag, meaning your middle will drop into a U shape, stressing the spine ligaments, which can press on your nerves.” So, for eight hours, your ligaments will be working instead of resting.
As a result, you can wake up feeling achy instead of rested. “This is why you need a bed that will allow your shoulders and hips to sink in, then your waist and side are supported.” In fact, Kapadia suggests taking a friend bed-shopping with you to check your alignment as you lie on a bed – or even taking a photograph to show how well you are supported. The worst mattresses, Halfpenny warns, are the old, soft ones, which dip like hammocks in the middle, curving your back. Another tricky issue is buying a mattress for a couple, as each person may have different needs, thanks to their different shapes and weights. “You don’t want one of you to sink in and the other to be bouncing on the top. It’s about surface area and pressure. You need to sink in at first, and then be supported.” Halfpenny says choosing a bed with breathable, natural materials can improve your sleep quality – so that you don’t get too hot and sweaty in the night. But, for those with allergies, Kapadia suggests trying out a bed with natural latex instead.
It’s also worth thinking about a bed with a slatted base so that air can circulate, or one with pocket springs to match the mattress. For older patients, and those who find it hard to get in and out of bed, getting a higher base can also help. If you are on a very tight budget and can’t afford the mattress you want, buying a decent one and adding a mattress topper for extra comfort can help. Finally, don’t forget to think about pillows, say the experts at John Lewis. If you sleep on your side, you might need a firmer one, to fill the space between the side of your head and shoulder. If you are on your back, you need a softer one to keep your neck in line with your spine. Anyone sleeping on their front needs a very flat pillow. But Halfpenny has a final warning: even when you successfully find the perfect bed, your problems might not be over. The pain specialist says he spent more than £4,000 finding the right mattress for himself and his wife, and hours researching it.
Although now he can happily sleep for 10 hours at a time, there is one drawback – going on holiday or to visit family is torture. “I just want to get back to my mattress!” £2,050 in a kingsizeDeane’s top choice Rehana: This is really high end. My body is nicely supported so my lower spine is not being pushed down or up. It can be short-sighted to buy too cheap a mattress – try to buy the best you can afford. Deane: This is fantastic. Not too hard or soft. R: Memory foam like this moulds to your body, but some people find they can get very hot. It’s not very breathable and it retains a lot of heat. If you can’t afford one, you could buy a mattress topper for support.D: This mattress takes time to mould around you, but it’s very supportive. It is firm, but not overly so. R: This is hypoallergenic and has the firmness of a memory foam, but with a bit more bounce. I thought I would like latex but I prefer the other ones.D:I can’t get comfortable – it is far too firm for me.