Side sleeping offers many advantages, but to prevent back and neck pain it is key to use an appropriate mattress and pillow combination. A malleable pillow can support your body while keeping your chin off your chest – helping prevent improper posture or spinal misalignment.
Sleeping on your side also allows waste to clear more rapidly, relieving any stomach aches, heartburn or constipation issues more effectively. This may help avoid stomach discomfort as well as constipation issues.
Support
Sleeping on one’s side is generally considered to be healthy for spinal alignment and reduces snoring and heartburn, as well as helping with posture issues like neck and back pain. Unfortunately, however, sleeping this way also poses risks of shoulder pain and numbness in arms due to head weight pressing down onto shoulders and forcing them into mattress, leading to misalignments that lead to misalignments of alignments in their spines and even misalignment of arms and shoulders.
Assuaging this issue requires placing a pillow between your knees, which will keep your hips perpendicular to the mattress and stop one leg from arching over another. Furthermore, a lumbar support pillow under your waist may help with maintaining proper alignment between pelvis and ribs.
If you regularly wake up with numbness or back pain while sleeping on your side, it may be time to switch sleeping positions or invest in a mattress with more support. When searching for a medium-firm mattress suitable for side sleeping, size and firmness level should also be key considerations; medium firm mattresses generally provide just enough softness while maintaining adequate spine alignment.
Pillows are also essential considerations for side sleepers, as they help ensure that both your neck and head remain aligned with your spine while providing appropriate cushioning and support. Choose a thick enough pillow that offers support without pushing too far on your neck muscles – any thinner option could strain these delicate muscles!
Pillows
An appropriate pillow for side sleepers can help alleviate posture issues in their neck and spine, providing sufficient support to contour head and neck while aligning them with spine alignment, according to Tal. Memory foam pillows often fit this criteria while down or alternative fills may also work well as options. A pillow which can be adjusted in terms of loft and firmness adjustment is important, since side sleepers must find their ideal balance of support and softness, he notes.
People who sleep on their sides may prefer using two pillows, placing one under their head and the other between their knees to maintain a neutral spine alignment. Some individuals do this to stay warm; sleep experts have noted it may reduce hip and knee joint pressure.
Though it has its drawbacks, this sleeping position is generally considered the healthiest. It may help reduce lower back stiffness and back pain as well as decrease snoring. Furthermore, improved gut function may alleviate digestive symptoms like heartburn, bloating and constipation. If your mattress is too hard for this position to sleep on comfortably, try adding a memory foam mattress topper; many toppers can make your bed more comfortable without incurring extra costs for new furniture.
Mattresses
Your choice of mattress can have a dramatic impact on your posture. A mattress that does not conform to your body can lead to misalignments of spine alignment and discomfort in hip areas. For side sleepers looking for optimal support from their mattress – one rated at 4.5-6 firmness may provide ample sinkage against pressure points along the spine and provide deep sinkage to reduce tension points along the way.
Firmness levels for mattresses will also depend on your body weight; for most side sleepers, however, medium firm mattresses such as WinkBed should provide enough support without sinking too far into the mattress itself and can still provide necessary spinal alignment support.
Memory foam mattresses can offer side sleepers a comfortable cradling sensation that relieves pressure points, but if you tend to get hot during the night it should be considered carefully as memory foam tends to trap body heat, leading to sweaty nights of restful rest. To combat this try using both coils and memory foam together. Additionally, for solo side sleeping purposes you might prefer one with a Euro top that provides additional cushioning while still allowing air flow throughout the mattress.
Position
Sleeping on your side, or the lateral position, helps keep the airways open during sleep and can reduce snoring and mild sleep apnea symptoms. Furthermore, this sleeping position may aid with heartburn relief as well as digestive disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Unfortunately it may lead to shoulder pain if your mattress is too firm, or your positioning awkward. Furthermore, when compressing the body during side sleeping pressure can build in hips and lower back areas as waste elimination slows down; which could eventually result in constipation symptoms as well.
An orthopedic pillow placed between your knees can provide instantaneous relief from hip and leg pain for side sleepers who tend to shift throughout the night, as well as pregnant women promoting blood flow to their fetuses. Some may find it beneficial when sleeping curled into the fetal position for added digestion support and heartburn relief.
Medium-firm mattresses tend to provide the ideal support for side sleepers. A firmer mattress might feel too hard and put pressure on hips, shoulders and knees which could interfere with proper spine alignment. A pillow high enough to keep your head straight is also key as this prevents your neck from sinking too far into the mattress causing strain or pressing forward forcing your spine into an inverted curve.
