Best Sleeping Position

The purpose of this post is to answer the question of: “What is the best sleeping position to promote good posture?”

What to expect in this post:

• Importance Of Sleeping Posture
• Best Positions To Sleep For Posture
• Avoid Sleeping On Stomach
• Pillow Tips
• Mattress Tips
• Other Tips

Importance of having Good sleeping posture

Your sleeping posture is more important than you may think…

Not only does your posture matter when you’re upright, it is equally as important when you’re lying flat.

Don’t let your poor sleeping position contribute to your bad posture!

Tell me something… Have you ever woken up with pain in the neck, shoulder or lower back?

Yes?… I am willing to bet that it could be related to your sleeping posture!

best position to sleep for good posture

The goal is to encourage symmetry and alignment of the body.

I recommend sleeping on the back or side.

1. Sleep On Your Back

Pros

• Promotes greatest amount of symmetry
• Equal distribution of load throughout the body
• Optimal position for posture
• Less likely to compress joints/muscles

Cons

• May encourage snoring and sleep apnea for those predisposed
• May place more stress on the lower back
• May be uncomfortable for people with bad posture
• May aggravate reflux symptoms
• Uncomfortable during pregnancy

Points To Consider

Place a pillow underneath your knees

This will cause a slight bend in your hips and knees and allow your lower back to flatten against the bed.

This position can help alleviate any tension throughout the lower back region (especially in those with an Anterior Pelvic Tilt and/or tight hip flexor muscles).

Note: Depending on your level of comfort, you may need to experiment with different heights of pillows under your knees until you find the most supporting and comfortable position. Some people may even feel more comfortable without the pillow.

Support Your Arms

Place a pillow on either side of your body to help support the weight of your arms.

This is particularly helpful if you have rounded shoulders as the shoulders tend stick forward when lying down.

(Keep in mind – If you already have reasonably good posture, you may not need to support your arms.)

Support Your Head

Place a pillow underneath your head and neck.

The aim is to use a thin as possible pillow that adequately supports the weight of your head.

Avoid using overly thick pillows as it can push your head forwards. (See above)

“Stretch Lying”

I am a fan of the Gokhale’s Method of “stretch lying” to de-compress the spine whilst lying down.

Think about elongating your spine as you lie down!

[See Video]

Instructions:

• Lie down on the back.
• Bend both knees and place feet hip width apart on bed.
• Prop the upper body onto your elbows.
• Slowly peel onto the bed one vertebra at a time.
• Place hands behind the head and slowly elongate the back of the neck.
• Set shoulder blades down towards the feet.
• Straighten out and relax the legs to the side.

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… Still uncomfortable sleeping on your back?

If for whatever reason you can’t lie on your back (breathing difficulties, snoring, reflux, back pain etc.), you can try sleeping on a bit of a slight incline.

(I tend to adopt this position when I have a flu and can’t lie on my back without my nose blocking up.)

You may need to stack a bunch of pillows until the desired angle of inclination is reached. Make sure that you are bending from the hip and not the upper torso.

2. Sleep On The Side

The alternative to sleeping on your back is to sleep on your side.

Generally speaking – People with bad posture will prefer to sleep on their side.

If you think about it, the position resembles the posture you may have whilst sitting (… I call it “horizontal slouching”).

If you are used to sleeping on your side, there is no need fret. (There is a more ideal way of doing it!)

The main thing to consider is keeping the spine alignment in a neutral position.

Pros

• Reduces snoring
• More comfortable for people with bad posture
• Good for pregnancy

Cons

• Increases stress on one side of the body
• Higher risk of misalignment (especially if you have big shoulders and/or hips)
• Alignment is largely dependent on support from mattress

Correct Way To Sleep On The Side

Tuck a pillow into the small of the neck

This will help support the weight of the head and prevent the neck from tilting towards one side.

Place a pillow between your legs

This will support the weight of the upper leg and prevent the lower back from rotating.

Place pillow under upper arm

This will support the weight of the upper arm and reduce load on the shoulder.

Do not assume the fetal position

Avoid rounding your body to the extent where you are curled up into a ball.

This may compress your body and promote bad posture.

Remain lengthened throughout the spine

Imagine someone is pulling your head to making your entire spine longer.

Adequate support from mattress

When sleeping on your side, it is important that your mattress is supporting you in this position.

If the mattress is either too soft or too firm, side sleeping will be uncomfortable.

(Check out this part of the blog post to determine if a mattress is suitable for you.)

Note: If you suffer from any shoulder issues, do NOT sleep on the painful side! Either sleep on the other side or on your back.

Avoid Sleeping on Stomach

In my opinion: You should not habitually sleep on your stomach.

In this position, your neck tends to be rotated all the way towards one side which can result in a sore and stiff neck upon waking up.

It will also encourage the rounding of the upper back region (Hunchback Posture) and promote a Sway Back Posture.

Pillow Tips

How Many Pillows Should You Use To Support Your Head?

What is the magical number of pillows? 1, 2, 3 or even 4?

The trick is using the pillow as a means of supporting and promoting neutral alignment of your spine.

It really depends on your posture and sleeping position.

When To Change Pillow

How old is your pillow? Have you even changed it before? Do you need one new one?

Do the pillow scrunch test: Scrunch up your pillow. Let go.

If it doesn’t spring back to the original shape immediately, you may need to consider purchasing a new one.

Is It Good To Sleep Without A Pillow?

It certainly can be!

The only issue is that many people who have a forward head posture will likely require some amount of support from a pillow.

If you feel comfortably without a pillow, go for it!

How to determine if a mattress is suitable for you

Are you looking for a mattress? Not sure how to test if a mattress is good for you?

The general rule of thumb when buying a new mattress is to aim for as firm as you can comfortably tolerate.

How do I test the amount of firmness? … Do the 2 minute test!

Here is how to do it:

1. Pick a mattress that you are wanting to test.
2. Lie down on your preferred sleeping position.
3. Maintain this position without moving for at least 2 minutes.
   • (Longer duration would be even better!)
4. If you feel that you need to fidget or change positions before the 2 minutes is over, the bed is likely not suitable for you.

Ultimately – You will likely need to address any issues in your body (including your posture!) that may be predisposing you to being uncomfortable in bed. Here are 101 tips to help you get started on your posture.

Other tips

You Are Going To Move Around

Accept it. Chances are that you will not stay in the same position throughout the night.

(And that’s completely normal!)

It is not a significant issue if you move into a “not so good” position, but at the very least, it is important to start in the ideal position.

Set yourself for success (… even when you’re sleeping)!

You may actually find the more comfortable you are whilst lying down, the less you will likely move around.

As your body becomes accustomed to your new sleeping position, it becomes easier to remain in position.

Get Up Slowly

When you wake up, make sure that you take your time rising from your bed.

If you move too quickly after the body has been in the lying down position for a long period of time, this can result in an injury.

Someone Else In The Bed?

If you have someone else sleeping next to you, it may be a common practice to snuggle next to them.

There’s no problem with this… But, exercise caution when you are about to sleep.

If you are entangled with your sleep buddy in an awkward position, this may compromise the ideal sleeping posture.

It Takes Time

You have been sleeping a certain way for many years now.

It is going to take some time to wean into your new ideal sleeping posture.

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Follow the steps and recommendations made in this blog post to help promote your best possible posture whilst sleeping.

Please feel free to leave me a comment down below.

I’d love to hear from you!

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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional before starting any exercise and/or implementing any recommendation. For more information: Medical Disclaimer.