Many people find that sleeping on one’s side is a more comfortable method of restful slumber, offering relief from backache and snoring as well as faster waste removal from their bodies.
However, this position could also be harmful for certain health conditions. A 2003 ScienceDirect study demonstrated this by noting that those suffering from congestive heart failure tended to sleep on the left side.
Neck and shoulder aches and pains
Side sleeping can cause neck and shoulder discomfort, especially if your pillow does not support proper head and shoulder alignment. This may contribute to poor spinal alignment as well as placing too much weight on one side of your body relative to another.
Overtime, this can result in sore and stiff muscles and can create chronic discomfort that hinders sleep. Over time, unchecked, this pressure may damage shoulder joints and the acromioclavicular (AC) joint leading to osteoarthritis with clicking or popping noises when moving and pain with movement or popping sounds when clicking or popping sounds are heard during movement.
Sleeping on your side can aggravate the median nerve in your arm and lead to tingling and numbness. This nerve passes through the carpal tunnel in your wrist; repeated compression of this passageway can irritate it and send pain signals directly back to your brain.
Though changing your sleeping position may be challenging, there are various strategies you can employ to increase comfort when side sleeping and ensure a restful night’s rest. A mattress designed to reduce shoulder and hip pressure will make an immediate difference, while additional adjustments such as selecting a pillow that supports neck health can make a noticeable difference as will not keeping arms resting in a fixed position for too long.
Numb hands and fingers
Research is now showing that side sleeping may offer numerous health advantages over back sleeping, including maintaining neutral spine alignment to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea as well as reduce neck and back pain. Furthermore, side sleeping prevents soft tissues at the back of the throat from collapsing which cause snoring while alleviating acid reflux symptoms; plus it improves cognitive performance and manages long-term conditions like fibromyalgia more effectively.
However, one of the drawbacks of side sleeping can include waking up with numb hands and fingers due to sleeping awkwardly or an underlying condition like ganglion cysts that compress nerves causing pain, numbness and tingling in the hands. It’s essential that wrists and arms stay straight during sleeping as this helps ensure they do not bend into an awkward or inconvenient position during restorative sleep – wearing a brace may help if needed to ensure no uncomfortable positions are created during restorative restful restorative restful restorative restful restorative restful restful restful regenerative sleep.
Side sleepers may develop an interspace between their waist and mattress that allows their abdomen to sink during the night, leading to spinal misalignment and misalignment. Soft mattresses can allow heavier parts of their bodies, such as hips or shoulders, to settle onto it too easily leading to discomfort.
Sleep apnea
As in almost any poll that asks people about their preferred sleeping position, side sleepers almost always win the majority vote. This may be due to how this position offers many benefits for relieving back pain, relieving sleep apnea symptoms and decreasing acid reflux symptoms while relieving backache symptoms.
However, side sleeping has some disadvantages that you should be wary of if you prefer this position. Lying on the left side can put pressure on the chest cavity and increase heart rate as well as lead to fluid build-up in lungs that could eventually cause pulmonary edema.
Starfish Position Sleeping can also result in shoulder discomfort due to using too much pillow for your head support, placing undue strain on your shoulders and arms. Furthermore, sleeping with arms stretched above head, folded under pillow or bent can result in paresthesia (numbness in hands and fingers).
Stomach sleeping is often advised against, as it can increase lower back problems and lumbar lordosis – an overarching of the spine – while stomach sleepers may also experience acid reflux and find breathing more challenging as their airways become restricted.
Heart problems
Sleeping on their right side may make heartburn or acid reflux symptoms worse, by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter which normally prevents stomach acid from reaching their esophagus. Sleeping this way may also increase snoring as it allows tongue collapse into throat resulting in obstruction and resultantly, snoring.
Sleeping on the left side, however, can provide relief from heartburn and acid reflux, reduce snoring, and help combat many health problems associated with sleep apnea, such as an increased heart rate that interferes with breathing.
Side-sleeping improves airflow through both the nose and mouth, helping with digestive issues such as constipation or bloating, while encouraging good posture that could reduce lower back pain. Furthermore, side-sleeping is often recommended by those suffering from sleep apnea as it prevents soft tissues in their upper throat from collapsing as often occurs when back sleeping – leading to potential snoring!
If you prefer sleeping on your side, use a neck pillow to support your head and neck in maintaining neutral spine alignment while sleeping. Furthermore, alternate which side you sleep on every other night to reduce any build-up of pressure on shoulders and hips.
