Revealing The Truth About Sleeping Positions (Their Pros And Cons)

Apart from the stereotype, sleeping is not as easy as we think. Getting too little or too many hours in catnapping has already hosted tons of health issues, from dementia, obesity, to heart disease and diabetes.

People who have slept too much are often struggling with their weight. Scientists have found links in weight gain and excessive sleeping. Mood swings are also a common occurrence in individuals who sleep for too long.

Those who get little sleep however also develop a lot of abnormal body functions. Lack of sleep can cause a person to have a difficult time in thinking. Cognitive functioning also drops when lacking sleep. There’s also an increased chance of accidents from happening.

Aside from that, did you know that your position in sleeping plays a vital role in problems like heartburn, snoring, and of course, wrinkles? By not understanding the effects of the sleeping position you are used to, the pre-existing health conditions that you have, if you have one, may worsen.

Read this article to find out more about the pros and cons of each sleeping position. 

Sleeping With Your Back on the Bed

●      Pros of Back Sleeping

This position in sleeping is ideal for your neck and spine because the back lies straight and is voluntarily lying without any twisted positions. But in reality, you would surely want to sleep with your back on the bed (without pillows) for your neck to be in its natural position, which is ideal.

Aside from that, sleeping on your back also possesses some cosmetic advantages. By letting your face “breathe air,” you’re discouraging wrinkles from growing in your face, compared to those who sleep with their face pressed down in a pillow.

●      Cons of Back Sleeping

Sleeping on your back makes the back of your tongue disrupt the passage of air. This thing makes breathing difficult and produces the snoring sounds that everybody hates.

This sleeping position is not suitable for those who have sleep apnea and also to those who snore. According to the experts, the best position to those who suffer these conditions is side sleeping.

Side Sleeping

●      Pros of Side Sleeping

Side sleeping is not the most common position in sleeping for nothing. If you sleep on your side on the bed, the best position is to face the left side because it eases heartburn and the acid reflux.

Aside from that, it also boosts the digestion process on your body, vitalizes toxin drainage in your lymph nodes, improves the circulation of your blood, and aids the brain to clean waste. These wonderful advantages of sleeping on the left side are possible because of the anatomy and the position of the organs inside the body.

●      Cons of Side Sleeping

Being a side sleeper can also bring some disadvantages. By being one, you’ll put pressure on your lungs and stomach. Therefore, you need to switch positions every now and then.

Needless to say, you, as a side sleeper, may experience numbness in one of your arms for resting on it too long. Moreover, if you have shoulder pain, never use this sleeping position as this will put a lot of stress in the said by part.

Stomach Sleeping

●      Pros of Stomach Sleeping

This sleeping position eases breathing, thus prevents you from snoring. But, that’s just it. There are no other advantages from sleeping on your stomach.

●      Cons of Stomach Sleeping

Sleeping with your stomach lying on the bed is probably one of the worst positions ever. If you have back problems, doctors suggest avoiding this position since it makes the natural curve of your spine flat, which results in pain in the lower back. Also, sleeping with your head turned to one side will cause the straining of the neck.

Another position that most people find themselves in is by sleeping on their stomach and bringing one leg up. Individuals who are in this position for a prolonged time end up having soreness in the hips and lower back. This pain is due to the torquing of both the hips and back.

Sleeping while Sitting Up

●      Pros of Sleeping While Sitting Up

A lot of people find it easy to sleep while sitting down especially when in difficult jobs such as the military, hospital and medical services, and other jobs that demand heavy attention. Most people find it easy in getting in and out of this position. Most say that sleeping while sitting up is a position for power napping.

●      Cons of Sleeping While Sitting Up

Sleeping in this position for extended periods of time can lead to a lot of stress on the back and neck of a person. The position is very unnatural and can eventually let a person feel more tired than rested after waking up. This position is not for those who want to sleep extended hours.

Another factor to take of note of is that most people who sleep while sitting, have less quality sleep. This situation means that the body does not fully reap the rewards of sleep such as healing, lowering stress, revitalizing, etc.

Sleeping with Legs Slightly Elevated

●      Pros of Sleeping with Legs Slightly Elevated

Most people who sleep on their backs sometimes recommend to elevate your legs to about one pillow. Sleeping this way takes of pressure from the veins in the leg and feet. This position allows the blood to freely flow all throughout the body. Most athletes sleep this way after a workout or a hard game because an increased blood flow promotes better muscle healing.

●      Cons of Sleeping with Legs Slightly Elevated

The risks associated on Sleeping with legs slightly elevated is that it can cause damage to the veins and possibly disrupt the blood flow if done regularly or if the elevation is too high. Too much elevation will disrupt the blood flow to your legs causing less healing and possibly numbness in those areas.

Fetal Position

●      Pros of sleeping in the Fetal Position

A lot of individuals prefer sleeping in the fetal position because they feel much warmer and safer that way. For added benefits, curl up to your right side and be more open.

●      Cons of Pros of sleeping in the Fetal Position

Sleeping on the left side while in the fetal position can put a tremendous amount of stress on your liver, lungs, and stomach. Always sleep on the right side so that you avoid compression of your vital organs.

Takeaway

Sleeping is everyone’s personal comfort. With a cozy mattress which you can get in some reputable sites like BedsOnline, and choosing which sleeping position brings you the most comfort, you will surely have a good night sleep.  If you experience pain in your back or sleep apnea, try switching your sleeping position as this will make a difference. All you need to do is to continue what works best for you.

Shweta
Shwetahttps://www.scoopify.org
Loves to write and keen learner to approaches follow.

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