What sleeping position helps prevent back pain?

What sleeping position helps prevent back pain?

“The best way to rest is to sleep,” but sleeping in the wrong position can be a silent threat to your spine.

There are many incorrect sleeping positions, and it’s believed that many people are currently doing them, such as sleeping curled up, sleeping on your stomach, sleeping in a semi-sitting position, and sleeping on your upper arm. These sleeping positions may lead to back pain.

 

Many people are familiar with the idea that the best sleep is eight hours, considering that humans spend about one-third of their lives sleeping. Sleep is a crucial time for the body’s recovery and repair. However, did you know that simply getting eight hours of sleep a day may not be enough? Correct sleeping posture is also important for our bodies and spines.

 

For the correct sleeping position.

 

  • Experts recommend sleeping on your side because it allows the spine to maintain its proper curve. You should sleep on your side with your knees slightly bent and a pillow between your legs to keep your hips aligned with your spine, preventing abnormal curvature and promoting better sleep.

 

  • Sleeping on your side with your arm alongside your body is one of the best positions for your spine. It keeps your body in a natural posture, helping to reduce back and neck pain, and even reducing snoring. However, sleeping on your arm for extended periods may lead to shoulder and arm pain. Therefore, it’s best to change your sleeping position periodically to avoid this.

 

  • Lying on your side with bent knees, specifically on your right side, is a good sleeping position and can help relieve back pain, especially if you bend one knee and hug a body pillow. Bending both knees can further alleviate back pain.

nongyao.jpg

📚 Sleeping positions to reduce back pain.

 

However, pillows are a crucial factor in ensuring correct sleeping posture. First, it’s important to understand that a good pillow isn’t designed to support the head, but rather the neck. Therefore, we should use a neck pillow rather than a head pillow. If the pillow supports the head, the neck will bend more, causing muscle tension. Conversely, sleeping with a high pillow will cause the back to curve more, leading to back pain.

 

Younger people generally prefer sleeping with a low pillow to reduce back curvature, while older people tend to prefer a high pillow because it facilitates breathing. However, using a high pillow can cause excessive back curvature and lead to neck pain.

 

However, people have different physical head shapes, or simply put, their head shapes aren’t uniform, so they need a pillow that’s suitable for their individual characteristics.

 

📚 Persistent back pain…needs treatment.

 

Even after adjusting to the correct sleeping position, if you still experience neck or back pain, you should consult a specialist. At S Hospital, a specialized spine hospital, we are the only hospital in Thailand specializing in spine and nervous system disorders.

 

Information from

Dr. Thanawat Unhachok

Spine specialist