Does it really matter what position you sleep in? Yes! Read on…
Sleep Posture:
We should be sleeping about 7 hours per night – that’s almost a third of your day! When proper posture isn’t maintained throughout the night – the spinal column can become misaligned. This is known as a vertebral subluxation. Chiropractic Doctors are trained to identify spinal misalignments.
Back is Best:
The best position while sleeping is laying your back on the mattress and facing upwards. Your head and neck should be cradled in your pillow. There are a some great pillows out there to help with proper sleeping posture. One of my favourites, is the Therapeutica Pillow which has wonderful support the neck. Sleeping on your back also helps keep your hips in proper alignment.
The vertebral column is attached to muscles and bones via tendons and ligaments. A misalignment can cause soreness, stiffness and pain in the muscles.
Stomach is the WORST position:
Sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on the spinal column and reverses the normal curvature. Most people who sleep on their stomach also extend one arm under the pillow which leads to the blood supply being cut off to the rotator cuff, causing pain due to the impingement. Lastly, sleeping on your stomach can also cause jaw pain do to the pressure of your face being in the pillow for hours on end. Chiropractic can really help those suffering from all of the above.
To conclude, if you wake up stiff and sore in the morning, talk to your Chiropractor about ways to modify your sleeping position and see if you have any spinal misalignments. Make an appointment today to prevent sleep related pain.