Most of us spend a third of our lives in bed, yet many of us sleep in positions that hurt us. We spend money on exercising and improving our health, but when it comes to the position we sleep in, we tend to disregard it.
Sleeping Posture
As a Certified Stott Pilates instructor, I think a lot about posture throughout the day and work to improve my posture and others’ posture. Working on my posture during sleep was more difficult. I tend to be a very deep sleeper, so when it came to my sleeping posture I felt that I wouldn’t be able to control it.
I’d always been a side sleeper. When I tried to sleep on my back, it didn’t feel as comfortable. Even though I knew I wasn’t using a good position to sleep in, I fell asleep easily and wanted to keep it that way. However, a few years ago, I’d been doing physical therapy for my shoulder. It was improving but stopped making as much progress after a while. I was still having the pain even though I was doing the exercises and stretching I was supposed to do.
I started to realize that when I woke up I was in more pain than I was at the end of the day. To me, this made sense. I knew I wasn’t controlling my posture during sleep even though I was controlling it during the day and working out six days a week.
I found that my shoulders rolled forward way too far, and my upper thoracic spine had excessive curvature when I slept. I also found that I couldn’t get my neck into the right position. So, I decided to start researching good sleeping posture.
Improve Your Sleeping Posture
I found a lot of what I’d heard before along with some new insights. I started experimenting with these tips a few years ago. Here I’m going to share 10 ways I feel help the most to improve sleeping posture.
1. Invest in a firm enough bed or mattress. If your mattress doesn’t have enough support, your body can’t maintain its positions as well.
2. Set yourself up for the night. What I mean by this is lie in the best posture you can that is still comfortable. You can try deep breathing or meditating … whatever feels good to help you drift off to sleep. If you start in a good position, you’re more likely to stay in it for longer. The more often you use this position when you sleep, the more comfortable it will become.
3. Decide what kind of sleeper you are. If you can get in good posture in the position you’re most comfortable, it’s fine to stick with that. If you’re like me and are comfortable in a position but can’t get your posture right, you might want to try a different position. The best ways to sleep are on your back or side. Sleeping on your stomach is the worst for your posture because it puts your lumbar spine (otherwise known as your lower back) in excessive curvature.
4. Use the proper size pillow. If you sleep on your back, a lot of researchers now say not to use a pillow. If you can’t be comfortable without a pillow, try to use the thinnest pillow you can. If you sleep on your side, you can use a bigger pillow than you can on your back. Try to get the right size so there’s not too much pressure on your shoulder and not too much strain on your neck.
5. Use a towel. If you sleep on your back, you can use this instead of a pillow to help your natural neck curvature. If you sleep on your side, you can put the towel by the base of your neck just below the pillow for a more gradual incline. This can help if you’re a side sleeper and have neck pain.
6. Help your back. Provide support for your back by placing a pillow underneath your knees if you’re a back sleeper or in between your knees if you’re a side sleeper. It’ll help your spine to be in a much more natural position. Plus, it can help avoid back pain from sleeping, which is a common problem for adults.
7. Tuck yourself in loosely. If your sheets are too tight, it can cause you to sleep with your feet in a pointed position (plantar flexed).
8. If you are a side sleeper, don’t sleep on your hands. Your head weighs 8-10 pounds, and it can cut off circulation, which is not beneficial.
9. If you’re a back sleeper and your elbows hurt or you can’t get your arm(s) in a good position while you’re lying flat, elevate your arm(s) with a pillow.
10. Be ready for bed without placing undue strain on your posture. If you watch TV or read in bed, the best thing is if you have a bed that moves into different positions. Otherwise, you can prop yourself up with pillows. If you’re reading a book, it’s often helpful to place a pillow or pillows on your lap so that your book is at eye level without straining your arms. Your elbows should be in line with your waist at the height of their natural bend. This will help you be ready for bed without having undue strain on your posture to begin with.
How Will You Improve Your Sleeping Posture?
My go-to sleeping position is still side sleeping. I’ve also started sleeping on my back some now. It wasn’t the most comfortable position to start out with, but it’s becoming more comfortable. I’ve used a towel and no pillow underneath my neck or a smaller pillow. It’s really helped my neck and shoulder feel better if they are bothering me. If I prepare to sleep on my back, I place a pillow underneath my knees. This helps to prevent my lower back from hurting. Surprisingly, I’ve found I stay on my back for most of the night.
If you’re having pain caused from your sleep, wanting to prevent pain, or wanting better posture, I hope you try out some of these tips! 🙂
What tip(s) will you try? Do you use any of these already?
Have fun!
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Great tips Christina. People often don’t give enough attention to their sleeping posture, and it can harm. To avoid back pain it is necessary to have right posture while standing, sleeping or sitting.
Hi Christina,
This is an especially helpful article for my husband and myself. Interstingly, he told me the other morning that his hands kept falling asleep, and sure enough! He put his hands UNDER his pillow! 🙂
Now, my favorite, most comfortable sleeping position is on my back, but evidently (I say this because my hubby tells me) I snore when I’m on my back. I may give the “no pillow” position a try, which may help. On my sides, it turns out that it makes my shoulders hurt.
I definitely do use a pillow under my knees a lot. We aren’t in a position to invest in a really good bed yet, but once we do have the money, I can assure you that it’s going to be a VERY high priority.
Thanks for the tips!
Hugs,
Kathy
Hey Christina,
I also face a lack of movement in hands in the middle of the night. I never thought that my sleeping position can be the reason, as I always sleep sideways. The tips provided in this post are nice and easy to apply. Thanks for these valuable tips.
Great article Christina. I once was a stomach down sleeper and actually had some issues because of that like you mentioned. After switching to belly side up and occasionally sides, I saw a somewhat better sleep for some reason. Sleeping on my side also prevents me from snoring so one more plus to it.
Extremely useful compilation. Most health troubles can actually be tracked back to poor diet and sleep. People do not realize that the way they sleep (including posture) is crucial to the quality of sleep. Thanks for sharing this.
Hello,
I have found that a bit of exercise before I go to bed, preferably a smart 15-20 minute walk, helps me move a lot less around and therefor I keep my posture better.
Kind Regards
Sarah
This is an excellent post. Thank you for the information Christina. I have found that proper positioning for my posture before going to sleep is important for me as well in order to avoid waking up with shoulder and/or back pain. I could sleep on my back except that the sound of my own snoring voids that from happening. Are there any tips for that?
thanks again,
Heather
Some great tips although I have found out I’m the unhealthiest sleeper ever! I find when I sleep palms up (a yoga relaxation pose)it feels unnatural but I sleep better…I’m not sure why
Hi Cristina,
Thanks for the awesome tips, I wasn’t aware about most of them.
It’s definitely very important to get a good night’s sleep, but I often find my self more rested after 2 hours of sleep, and way more tired after 8-10 hours.
So I guess it matters a lot what the quality of your sleep is.
Have a great week, cheers.
~Robert
Hi
Lets be honest we all abuse our sleep patterns at times and it is only when you get regular decent sleep you notice how much more alive you feel during the day instead of just going along in a daze you start to feel energetic again.
Great post keep it up lee
Thanks for the tips – I am going to try the pillow between my knees as I sleep on my side but still get back pain
Great article. Most people don’t know there is such a thing as sleep hygiene. Getting enough sleep is very important. Some researchers think that a lack of sleep is partly to blame for the obesity problem. A lack of sleep can also increase the chances of getting diabetes.
Better sleeping is one of the finest ways to keep health strong and sound. To have better sleep every night I’m being following some tips but not getting enough pleasure in sleeping :(. I feel like in hell after digging into bed I spend over 1 or so hour to catch sleeping hardly. My sleeping condition is light, I mean a simple sound cracks my sleep and I wanted to sleep deeper. I’m wondering by following these tips is there any possibility of deeper and longer sleeping!! Please let me know or if you have more effective ways kindly refer me. Thanks.
Great advice, always good to get a good nights sleep.
For me it’s all about the mattress. I was finding it really hard to sleep for a long time and just couldn’t get comfortable. Once I got a new mattress (a memory foam one) I’m now sleeping much better. I’d never go back to one of those old spring ones.
I have always had problems sleeping and due to my work my body clock is all over the place with no pattern what so ever.
One thing I took away from your post was getting rid of the pillow when lying on your back. I have always been a side sleeper but I thought I would give it a go. It’s been two nights since I read this post and even though I don’t feel comfy I did sleep better and hardly woke up during the night at all.
Personally I had faced a lot of problems to get sleep, all I did was just a 10mnts excersise. First and second day was same but from third day onwards felt better and got sleep quickly.
Great article. My biggest problems is shifting during the night. I feel most comfortable on my back when I go to bed but I wake up finding myself on my side. Now my shoulder hurts and has been for weeks on end because I think my pillow is too flat for side sleeping. Anyone have any suggestions?
Hi Christina,
I always had problems sleeping on Sunday because of my Sunday Insomnia. Your tips are really great! I never even knew some of it! I might as well try them! Thanks! I never even knew that sleeping in my hands is a bad thing. I always sleep on my hands and it’s pretty uncomfortable, so maybe that is one reason.
Thank you so much,
Dravis A.
Very Nice tips! I am a side sleeper and every morning when i get up my shoulder pains and my hands become numb. Thanks for these great tips!
Thank you.. These are some great tips. I’ll follow these steps because ive been experiencing some back pain lately when I get up in the morning..
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Great sleep posture tips. I forget how much of our lives we spend in bed. That’s a big chunk! I’ll have to take away these tips and improve my sleeping positions.
This is a great article, i mean some fantastic tips, that can help an individual with better night sleep. Its nice of you to share something that can make a difference to someones life. Great article. Thanks!
Well, there was the time, when the sleep was nowhere, I tried multiple times to sleep in Night, but all my efforts were fail, but soon I got to know, the reason of my sleepless nights, that was my daily days, which i spend doing nothing.
So, I started working out, started running, restructured my daily schedule and then the sleep was back as I was bot tired. I am happy now days.
Great write up! I too, am a pilates instructor Been teaching for about 15 years and get asked questions
About sleeping position and pillows all the time.
Go check out sleepmadetomeasure.com. They make customised pillows. It has changed my life and my clients
Hi Christina,
This is a great article and I think it will help a lot of people improve their sleeps. There are a lot of sleeping styles but I think the most important thing is “comfortable”, I know some people who have strange sleeping style and they sleep well every night!
Lovely tips to improve sleeping posture! Being a snorer I have been advised to sleep on side, but till I didn’t came across your article, I didn’t realize that I have been sleeping on my hand and it can hinder smooth blood circulation. Thanks Christina for bring this point in your article. I will make sure not to sleep on my hand when I sleep on the side!
Hi Christina
Since reading your blog about sleeping posture I’ve decided to give sleeping on my back a try. So far I’ve found I’m waking up in the same position so this has helped any discomfort of sleepy hands and arms in the morning. Sometimes I do love sleeping on my right side but when I do that I tend to wake up with my right elbow achy. I feel I’m an okay sleeper. What I do find difficult is the position of my neck before sleep. I do sleep with two pillows but then I’m less enthused to sleep with one because I’ve become accustomed to sleeping with two pillows since my early teenage years.
Clare Xx