As a life-long stomach sleeper (who learned a little too late in life that this is the absolute worst sleep position for a bad back), I had my work cut out for me. But first I needed to learn more about the different sleep positions and how they could be affecting my back health, so I could make an informed decision about how I should be sleeping to help maximize my recovery process and prevent issues from happening again in the future. Here’s what I learned:

Fact: regardless of your sleeping position, it’s critical to keep your ears, shoulders, and hips aligned – this is good posture regardless of what you’re doing! (don’t feel bad if you didn’t know this, I didn’t either).

Back Sleeping

This is arguably the best position for keeping your body aligned properly, but back sleeping was never my jam. I mean, yes, I’ll sometimes wake up in the middle of the night on my back, but I can never get to sleep starting from my back.

But if you’re able to fall asleep sleep on your back, first, go give yourself a bat on your back! (haha, no pun intendedJ), and then, place a small pillow under the back of your knees to reduce stress on your spine and support the natural curve in your lower back.

You may also need to play with different pillows to find something comforable and ergonomic for your neck. Pillows are a WHOLE other ballgame (sorry Amazon Prime, I know you hate me now from returning so many pillows, lol), and more about that to follow in a subsequent post.

Side Sleeping

There are many other benefits to side sleeping, not just a healthier back (reduced snoring, better digestion, less heartburn…sign me up!). But if you sleep on your side, a firm pillow between your knees will prevent your upper leg from pulling your spine out of alignment and it will also reduce stress on your hips and lower back.

The pillow for your head should also take careful consideration, as you want to ensure your ears are carefully lined up with your shoulders and your chin is off your chest. I happen to own a special side sleeper pillow, and I also like to place a long pillow under my waist to help support my spine in this position and prevent me from moving too much.

I also like to “hug” a pillow (sorry hubby!) to help keep my chest from drooping (and thus dragging the shoulders out of their optimal sleep position).

Stomach Sleeping

Sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on the discs in your spine and puts it out of its alignment. In laymen’s terms: it’s HORRIBLE for your back. Placing a flat pillow under the stomach and pelvis area can help to keep the spine in better alignment, but it’s not optimal…not to mention, that doesn’t solve the problem with your neck torqueing to one side.

Stomach sleeping is a mess, and truly, your best option is to lose some sleep now, and train yourself to sleep in a different position so you can reap the benefits later. This is what I did, and now today, I am an official side sleeper who sometimes even ends up on my back. BOO YA.

If you find yourself in a position where you know you need to change your sleep position, and want to try a new position to see if it helps, be patient. A habit like that can take a while to change, especially if you’ve been hitting the sack the same way for years.

You’ve got this, and I’ve got your back (no pun intended)!
Xo,
Christa D.

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