Stomach sleeping can put stress on both your back and spine due to most of your body weight being concentrated in the middle. Furthermore, it increases the risk of acid reflux-related awakenings.
Additionally, this condition can lead to neck and back pain that causes difficulty sleeping as well as discomfort throughout the day.
What is a stomach sleeper?
If you prefer sleeping with your face pressed against your mattress, that makes you a stomach sleeper. Unfortunately, this position can be detrimental to both your back and neck due to having to twist your head in different ways just to breathe, throwing off its natural alignment and compressing nerves along the way. Furthermore, restricting blood flow prevents other parts of the body from receiving needed oxygen supply which may result in arm/leg tingling sensations or even pain.
Sleeping on your stomach can also result in stiffness and backache, particularly with low-quality mattresses that place too much strain on your back and neck. Over time, this may lead to chronic backache or discomfort.
Stomach sleepers can also be vulnerable to acid reflux as they lie flat on their stomach, which allows stomach acid to flow back up the esophagus and back into their esophagus. Furthermore, this position puts added strain and strain on their facial structures that could result in wrinkles forming on their faces.
Luckily, there are some strategies you can employ as a stomach sleeper to improve the quality of your rest. Start by sleeping on a firm mattress with an ergonomic pillow to support both head and neck in an optimal position; or utilize a body pillow which can keep hips aligned with shoulders and spinal alignment intact.
How do I know if I’m a stomach sleeper?
Sleeping on your stomach may leave you waking up with back or muscle ache, acid reflux or an awkward slouched posture, which can exacerbate neck pain. While breaking this habit may be hard, remaining consistent in other sleeping positions will improve overall quality of restful slumber.
Sleeping on your stomach flattens the natural curvature of your spine, leading to lower back pain. In addition, sleeping this way may exacerbate snoring and sleep apnea while straining your neck muscles further.
If you are a stomach sleeper, try to minimize time in this position by placing a pillow under your pelvis or keeping your legs straightened at all times. This will align your spine, alleviate back pain and decrease snoring or sleep apnea episodes.
While pregnant, it’s wise to avoid lying on your stomach as this position puts undue strain on your body and may increase the chances of weight gain. Furthermore, lying this way can cause frequent night awakenings due to discomfort which will compromise overall sleep quality and cause wrinkles over time. Sleeping on your side instead can be better option and help avoid future wrinkles from appearing – another plus of pregnancy!
What are the negatives of sleeping on my stomach?
Sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on the middle section of your spine, forcing it out of alignment with the rest of your body’s structure and leading to neck, back, shoulder, and nerve problems. Furthermore, this increases pressure on the nerves which run along your spinal column which could result in numbness and tingling in arms and legs.
Stomach sleepers tend to place extra strain on their shoulder joint by raising and tucking in their arms under their pillow, which may eventually lead to rotator cuff issues and other related conditions. Furthermore, sleeping in this prone position compresses your facial skin, increasing wrinkle formation.
Sleeping on your stomach makes breathing difficult because you must twist your neck to breathe from one side – which puts strain on your cervical spine and could result in herniated discs in your cervical spine.
Overall, if you regularly sleep on your stomach it is wise to experiment with other positions to see which feels most comfortable for you and prevent any long-term negative effects or keeping yourself healthy. If this proves challenging try placing a thin pillow under your stomach to stop hips sinking into mattress which often results in lower back pain from stomach sleepers.
What are the positives of sleeping on my stomach?
Sleeping on your stomach does not offer many advantages. For starters, it can put strain on both your neck and back throughout the night – leading to bad posture, poor quality restful sleep, as well as morning soreness.
Stomach sleeping can put extra strain on your spine and lead to herniated discs in your spine due to weight-induced twisting of your spine. While not common for all individuals, pregnant women should especially avoid this position for fear of additional pressure on hips and circulation issues in legs that could result in varicose veins or swelling.
One drawback of stomach sleeping is that it can be challenging to fall asleep as you essentially face-plant into your mattress. While some individuals can manage this position with ease, others may struggle more.
Psychologically speaking, sleeping on your stomach may indicate defensive and fearful tendencies. This could be as a result of feeling powerless over your life or having difficulty accepting criticism. Stomach sleepers also often wake up feeling anxious or stressed because they put up an “invincible front”, leading to mood swings and stress-filled days ahead.
