Did you wake up from a long nap and experience back and neck pain or even tummy troubles? Did you ever blame the position you slept in prior to waking up? Well, apparently, our body positions can have a significant impact on our slumber. In fact, there are the best and worst ones for different health conditions, one of which is pregnancy.
Since it’s not only the length of your sleep that matters, you might as well start taking note of the position you’re in. Read on to learn more about the worst sleeping positions you may want to avoid from now on.
1. Fetal Position
You might think this is a good idea as you once rested in a tight fetal pose inside of your mother’s uterus, but it isn’t. This curved position is said to restrict diaphragmatic breathing, with your knees pulled up high and chin tucked into your chest. It also brings neck and back pains in the morning, especially if you have an arthritic back or joints. Try straightening out a little and not tucking your body into an extreme curl to avoid premature facial wrinkles and breast sag.
2. On Your Front
Sleeping in this position makes it hard to keep a neutral position with your spine. To make things worse, it also puts pressure on joints and muscles, irritating your nerves and leading to pain, numbness, and tingling. Since you have your head to one side for long hours in this position, you will more likely experience soreness during the day. Moreover, sleeping on your front brings on wrinkles and saggy breasts.
3. Right Side with Your Arms Stretched
Sleeping on the right side with your arms stretched is said to worsen heartburn, with gravity shifting the internal organs to the right. This may also compromise blood oxygen levels, strain the cardiovascular system, and chronically cause right shoulder, lower back, and right hip pain. Lastly, the pressure on the nerves of the right arm or leg may lead to compression injuries or neuropathy.
4. Left Side with Your Arms Stretched
If you were once pregnant, you might have gotten an advise sleeping on your left side for optimal blood flow. Although this is true, it’s still best to switch it up while sleeping on your side as keeping it on the left side for a long time can put pressure on the stomach and lungs. You may also experience arm numbness and shoulder pain since this position puts a lot of stress on the shoulders.
5. Starfish
The starfish or lying flat on your back is considered the best position by most people. However, instances of sleep apnea and loud snoring are much more common when in this position as the gravity forces the base of the tongue to collapse into the airway, which obstructs breathing.