Sleep
is a natural part of the daily biological functions and we spend some time of
the 24 hours sleeping. Sleep
cycles are different for different persons and while 5 to 6 hours of sleep may
be enough for some people, others may need up to 8 hours of sleep to feel
refreshed. How you sleep is as important as the duration. This is one area
which is often neglected by people.
Why
sleeping positions are important? Sleeping
positions are very important as you stay in a single position for hours at a
time every day, and if these habits are bad, they can contribute to spinal
problems. Thus, many of the spinal problems can also be alleviated by sleeping
correctly.
Some
of the bad sleeping positions that may adversely affect your spine are as
follows.
- On your stomach - This position is in overall a bad position as it curls up the
spine, especially where the neck meets the spine and can cause spinal
deformities over a long period of time. Certain adjustments to this
position can lessen the effects, but it is important to try to change
habits and sleep in a better position.
- The fetal position - Although this is one of the more natural positions and most
babies are crouched up in this form in the mother's womb; as a sleeping
position, it has its disadvantages as well. The lower spine is especially
put under a lot of stress when someone curls up in this position.
- On your side - Although this is safer compared to the other two, sleeping on your
sides straight would cause blood circulation issues and also put a lot of
stress on the relevant organs, depending on the side you were sleeping on.
In all of the
cases, slight adjustments to these positions will lessen the stress on the
spine and also help you sleep better.
Some
of the adjustments that you can make are:
1. Sleep with a
pillow between your knees to align your hips and cause less strain on the
spine.
2. If you don't
have sleep apnea, put a pillow under your knees to raise them while lying on
you back.
3. If you sleep on
your back, try to consciously change your position to sleep on the side.
4. Try and actively
change your posture throughout the day to ensure good sleeping position at
night.
