How do you sleep? If you answered: “I sleep well enough”, your answer is not good enough. You need to know how you sleep.
It’s All About Positioning
You can solve common problems such as acid reflux and sleep apnea by simply changing the way you sleep. The most common sleeping position is on the side – 57% of people start at least at night. The next most common positions are on the back (17%) and the stomach (11%). This data was found in a small survey conducted by Tempur-Pedic.
Walking around at night is normal; most people change their sleeping position between 3 and 36 times a night, with the average person switching about twelve times. What is not common, however, is getting enough rest.
We have many stressors throughout the day. And not just things that ‘challenge’ you, but movements and movements that put your musculoskeletal system under pressure: walking, sitting, running for the bus and all the other activities we do ourselves. Our body needs rest after a long day.
A Long Daze
If you do not get the right 7-8 hours of sleep per night, you will probably wake up if you are foggy and groggy. Your body and brain never completely recover because you do not give them a chance. And it may not be your fault.
You go to bed early. You switch off your devices before you start working at night. You meditate and prepare your body for rest. But you just do not understand. You do not get the rest you need because you do not sleep in the right way. You may not need to change your routine – just as you sleep.
“It’s important that people take the time to think about how they position themselves when they are asleep,” said Peggy Brill, an orthopedic physical therapist. She says that too much time is spent worrying about how much sleep we get, and not how we can get a better night’s sleep.
Up All Night?
Here are some common problems you can face and some simple solutions
Acid reflux? Lift your head with some more pillows.
Sleep apnea? Sleep on your side or stomach. This keeps your throat and airways open.
Plantar Fasciitis? Do not stuff the sheets too tightly (or at all). Your feet and ankles must be relaxed. Sleeping on your back is perhaps best. If you get an infection, you raise your feet with a small pillow.
Shoulder pain? Do not sleep on that shoulder. Take a big pillow and let your injured arm rest on it, as if you are hugging someone.
Back pain? Try a pillow between your knees. If you sleep on your back, try to place a small pillow under your knees or on your back. This helps to maintain the natural roundness of your spine.
Neck pain? Do not sleep on your stomach. Make sure your pillow stays under your head and not under your shoulders. Put a rolled up towel in your pillowcase. This helps to support your neck and keeps your neck muscles from tightening.