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Is Your Sleep Position Ruining Your Health?

Sleeping may be one of the most natural things in the world, but it can also be tricky. Good sleep is linked to good health, while poor sleep is linked to poor health including obesity, heart disease, dementia, diabetes and even wrinkles have been linked to poor sleep. By now, your favorite sleep position is probably well established, but you can at least try to change it or at least make some small tweaks to sleep a little better. All sleep positions have pros and cons but some sleep positions are considered better than others. Read on to see where your sleep style falls in the line-up.

Sleeping on your back is generally considered the best sleep position. If you can sleep flat on your back, all the better as pillows can interfere with breathing. On your back, your spine is supported and your neck is neutral. Also, you can’t get wrinkles from smushing your face into the pillow. On the other hand, back sleeping increases snoring and the occurrence of sleep apnea, which is why sleep doctors recommend sleeping on your side as a first treatment.

Sleeping on your side is the most common sleep position. Doctors recommend that pregnant women sleep on the left side to promote blood flow to the heart. Heartburn sufferers are also told to sleep on the left side to prevent reflux. Sleeping on the side can put pressure on the organs and lungs and can also make your arm fall asleep from all the weight on it and also constrict shoulder and neck muscles.

Sleeping on your stomach is widely considered the worst position to sleep in because puts the spine and neck into unnatural positions that cause pain. The only good thing about stomach sleeping is that it reduces snoring — if that’s a problem.

Unless your doctor recommends switching positions, you probably don’t need to. But making a few tweaks, like sleeping with few pillows under your head, might improve your sleep.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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