Choosing a Mattress: Everything You Need to Know Find Out What You Really Should Be Wearing to Bed The Best Sleep Position for Your Body Your p.m. pose can affect a lot more than just your slumber.Your sleeping pose can have a major impact on your slumber—as well as your overall health. Poor p.m. posture could potentially cause back and neck pain, fatigue, sleep apnea, muscle cramping, impaired circulation, headaches, heartburn, tummy troubles, and even premature wrinkles. Video production in partnership with Wondering which sleep spot is best? Check out the rankings, below, from best to worst.1. On Your BackThough it’s not the most popular position—only eight percent of people sleep on their backs—it’s still the best. By far the healthiest option for most people, sleeping on your back allows your head, neck, and spine to rest in a neutral position. This means that there’s no extra pressure on those areas, so you’re less likely to experience pain. Sleeping facing the ceiling also ideal for warding off acid reflux.
Just be sure to use a pillow that elevates and supports your head enough—you want your stomach to be below your esophagus to prevent food or acid from coming up your digestive tract. However, snoozing on your back can cause the tongue to block the breathing tube, making it a dangerous position for those who suffer from sleep apnea (a condition that causes periods of breathlessness). This position can also make snoring more severe.2. On Your SideThis position (where your torso and legs are relatively straight) also helps decrease acid reflux, and since your spine is elongated, it wards off back and neck pain. Plus, you’re less likely to snore in this snooze posture, because it keeps airways open. For that reason, it’s also the best choice for those with sleep apnea. Fifteen percent of adult choose to sleep on their side, but there’s one downside: It can lead to wrinkles, because half of your face pushes against a pillow.3. In the Fetal PositionWith 41 percent of adults choosing this option, it’s the most popular sleep position.
A loose, fetal position (where you’re on your side and your torso is hunched and your knees are bent)—especially on your left side—is great if you’re pregnant. That’s because it improves circulation in your body and in the fetus, and it prevents your uterus from pressing against your liver, which is on your right side. This pose is also good for snorers. But resting in a fetal position that’s curled up too tightly can restrict breathing in your diaphragm. And it can leave you feeling a bit sore in the morning, particularly if you have arthritis in your joints or back. Prevent these woes by straightening out your body as much as you can, instead of tucking your chin into your chest and pulling your knees up high. You can also reduce strain on your hips by placing a pillow between your knees.4. On Your StomachWhile this is good for easing snoring, it’s bad for practically everything else. Seven percent of adults pick this pose, but it can lead to back and neck pain, since it’s hard to keep your spine in a neutral position.
Plus, stomach sleepers put pressure on their muscles and joints, possibly leading to numbness, tingling, aches, and irritated nerves. It’s best to try to choose another position, but if you must sleep on your stomach, try lying facedown to keep upper airways open—instead of with your head turned to one side—with your forehead propped up on a pillow to allow room to breathe. and the National Sleep Foundation. Want more personalized information? Please provide your zip code, gender and age range. We can't wait to help you #takebackyoursleep. account and take our sleep personality quiz! Username Email Login | 000Question:Alas, pain in my shoulders and hips is destroying my ability to camp. I can no longer sleep on the ground, even with a thin mattress underneath. What is the best, most cushioned, and lightweight pad that might help solve this problem?Submitted by - Erin, Alameda, CAAnswer:Hey Erin,Say it ain’t so! I think it’s clear that you need a better, thicker, more comfortable mattress.
If you’re primarily a car camper and don’t have to worry about lugging a mattress around, that’s no problem. I have some friends that bring along enormous, pump-inflatable air mattresses, like these. Personally, I’m not a fan of this type, because I feel like they make me roll around too much and I’m always afraid one of my kids will use it as a trampoline. When I’m camping car-side, I always opt for this fat-daddy pad: The Cascade Designs Dream Time. With three layers of plush comfort, I swear to God it’s just as good as my mattress back home. (Maybe it’s time for me to buy a new one!) Now, if it’s a backpacking pad you seek, it becomes a bit more of a challenge. But by far, the most comfortable pad we’ve found is the brand new NeoAir, also by Cascade Designs. When inflated, It’s thick enough (2.5 inches) that even our 6’8” Editor-in-Chief didn’t bottom out. It weighs just 13 ounces and packs up the size of a can of Fosters. Check out this video review of the Neo Air.
I’m guessing because of your hip and shoulder pain that you’re a side-sleeper. But if you can train yourself to get comfortable sleeping on either your back or stomach, you’ll eliminate these pressure spots. Even if you can make it only part way through the night before you automatically roll onto your side, you should lessen your shoulder and hip discomfort. Best of luck…whatever you do, don’t give up on camping! Sleep on This: Our Top Pillow Picks The Best Mattress: One Chiropractor’s Journey! Do you feel like the bruised princess who slept on a pea? Does your mattress swallow you up like a sinkhole? Would a bed of nails be an improvement? Do you spend more time tossing and turning than sleeping? Do you wake up every morning with an achy, stiff back? Are you just as tired as when you went to bed? If so, it’s time to get a new or better mattress! Every week I find myself consulting patients on proper sleep positions and which mattress I recommend.
The answers that follow will definitely get you through the night… If you really want a good night’s sleep, take the pressure off! Each night the average person tosses and turns between 80-100 times. When too much pressure is applied to your body where it contacts the mattress, your circulation is restricted and joint position altered. Slight pressure (30mmHg and above) on the blood vessels in your skin can cause irreversible cell damage after 1-2 hours. The brain must regularly signal a positional change to avoid injury. Restful sleep is lost and the normal repair and maintenance during the night is insufficient. Forget what the Ad’s say. Whether a mattress is soft or firm is not the key factor. The best mattresses are designed to be supportive. By conforming to the body’s contours, the weight is more evenly distributed. The lordotic curves of the neck and lower back are cradled while the convexities of the head, mid back, tailbone and the arms and legs are accommodated during back sleeping.
With a lower percentage of the body contacting the mattress during side sleeping, proper support is paramount. When all is in order, pressure points are reduced, proper alignment achieved and blood circulation flows with little interruption. Ahh… a restful sleep is experienced! Typically, halfway through a “best mattress” consultation, most patients will ask me what the best position is for sleeping. (Passing out on the armchair does not count). Avoid sleeping on your stomach due to the extreme and often one-sided twist of the neck in order to maintain respiration. Lying on your back is the preferred method of sleeping and allows for the largest surface area for the distribution of your weight. Side sleeping would be the next choice. A pillow should support the curve of the neck and not be too high when back sleeping. This would cause the head to jut forward relative to your shoulders.* For some people, a pillow under the knees may add comfort. During side sleeping the pillow must be an adequate height to maintain proper spinal alignment.
I have found that most side sleepers have a pillow that is too low and/or they tuck the chin. This causes the head to translate to one side and leads to harmful pressures on the spine and nerves. Side sleepers are also advised to place a pillow between their knees to lesson hip stress. Years ago I embarked on a weary-eyed journey through magazines, catalogues, showrooms and cyberspace in order to find the best mattress. The first stop on my journey led to a queen-sized memory foam mattress and pillow. This combination felt great initially, but left me unsatisfied within a year’s time. I set out on a new quest. I contacted companies and researched different technologies. After numerous glossy brochures, phone conversations and informational DVD ’s, and completing the below checklist, I found what my bones were aching for! Must be supportive during side and back sleeping. Must have an adjustable firmness on each side. One person can move without disturbing the other person.
Must have an excellent warranty. Must come with a 60-90 day in-home trial period (very important!). Is dust mite resistant and easy to clean. Is provided to doctors for free!! With my journey’s conclusion, I was not able to check all of the items off of the list- it was not free for doctors! Beyond my written requirements, it had other benefits that I did not anticipate. The top is made of a removable and washable wool cover. This natural moisture-absorbing surface combats the existence of dust mites and is comfortable and breathable in all seasons. The bed also is comprised of separate parts including air cylinders that automatically self-adjust when you reposition yourself. The cylinders are covered by a layer of memory foam and padded around all sides. In light of the many people I meet with back injuries caused by lifting a heavy mattress to flip it or change the sheet, I was delighted by the lightness of my new discovery. My wife and I were thrilled… and still are after eight years on it.