Perfect Sleep Position
Find the Perfect Sleep Position
Stomach, Back or Side? How You Slumber Can Aggravate Pain, Prevent the Body From Bouncing Back • By SUMATHI REDDY
[pic]
[pic]
Tossing and turning all night to find that perfect sleeping position? WSJ's Sumathi Reddy joins Lunch Break with new findings on which positions could help you rest up more efficiently. Photo: Getty Images.
Tossing and turning all night to find that perfect sleeping position?
Experts say there is no one right way to sleep. But for people with certain types of pain and medical conditions, there are positions that can help keep problems from getting worse and may even alleviate them. In some cases, sleeping in the same position night after night can itself create pain, such …show more content…
Stay off your back, sleep specialists say. This potentially dangerous sleep disorder results in breathing interruptions caused by a blockage or narrowing of the airway, often resulting from the tongue or tissue in the throat collapsing. It's often accompanied by snoring. Roughly 10% of sleep apnea patients can be cured by changing their sleep position, said Eric Olson, co-director of the Mayo Clinic's Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn. While there are many sleep products designed to keep people off their backs, Dr. Olson and other experts recommend sewing a tennis ball onto the back of your night shirt to avoid rolling on to your back. And for people who want to stay on their back, he suggests elevating the head by at least 30 degrees or using a wedge …show more content…
The rule of thumb for many back problems is that sleeping on the back is the most comfortable. Keep a neutral position, with your spine aligned as if standing straight. Avoid flexing forward, for instance, by sinking into a mattress that is too soft, or bending backward, said Nick Shamie, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at University of California, Los Angeles and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
For people suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, in which nerves are pinched in the lower back, lying in any position can create significant pain except, perhaps, when the knees are bent.
"When these people are sleeping, whether on the back or side, they like to bend their knees because that brings their legs up and opens up the back of their spine," said Dr. Shamie. Spinal stenosis patients often place a pillow under their knees when sleeping on their back or between their legs if sleeping on their side. Adopting a fetal position while sleeping also helps ease pain for many patients, he
Stomach, Back or Side? How You Slumber Can Aggravate Pain, Prevent the Body From Bouncing Back • By SUMATHI REDDY
[pic]
[pic]
Tossing and turning all night to find that perfect sleeping position? WSJ's Sumathi Reddy joins Lunch Break with new findings on which positions could help you rest up more efficiently. Photo: Getty Images.
Tossing and turning all night to find that perfect sleeping position?
Experts say there is no one right way to sleep. But for people with certain types of pain and medical conditions, there are positions that can help keep problems from getting worse and may even alleviate them. In some cases, sleeping in the same position night after night can itself create pain, such …show more content…
Stay off your back, sleep specialists say. This potentially dangerous sleep disorder results in breathing interruptions caused by a blockage or narrowing of the airway, often resulting from the tongue or tissue in the throat collapsing. It's often accompanied by snoring. Roughly 10% of sleep apnea patients can be cured by changing their sleep position, said Eric Olson, co-director of the Mayo Clinic's Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn. While there are many sleep products designed to keep people off their backs, Dr. Olson and other experts recommend sewing a tennis ball onto the back of your night shirt to avoid rolling on to your back. And for people who want to stay on their back, he suggests elevating the head by at least 30 degrees or using a wedge …show more content…
The rule of thumb for many back problems is that sleeping on the back is the most comfortable. Keep a neutral position, with your spine aligned as if standing straight. Avoid flexing forward, for instance, by sinking into a mattress that is too soft, or bending backward, said Nick Shamie, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at University of California, Los Angeles and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
For people suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, in which nerves are pinched in the lower back, lying in any position can create significant pain except, perhaps, when the knees are bent.
"When these people are sleeping, whether on the back or side, they like to bend their knees because that brings their legs up and opens up the back of their spine," said Dr. Shamie. Spinal stenosis patients often place a pillow under their knees when sleeping on their back or between their legs if sleeping on their side. Adopting a fetal position while sleeping also helps ease pain for many patients, he