What is the best sleeping position?

When your head hits the pillow, chances are you default to a position that feels most natural. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the best sleeping position for your health. Whether you sleep on your back, your front, your side or hanging upside down from the rafters as a bat does, your position of choice will have an impact on everything from breathing to digestion and more.

Picking a position based on its health benefits could help you achieve a more restful night’s sleep and improve the quality of your waking life, too. If you often find yourself arising still tired or with new aches and pains, it could be a sign that your go-to sleeping position is hampering your body’s ability to recharge and repair.

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What is the best sleeping position?

So, what sleeping position should you be adopting? Well, that depends. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the spine is aligned and the airways remain open; but, to an extent, this will depend on your individual health situation. For example, if you’re pregnant or suffering from acid reflux, your ideal sleeping position may be different to someone who isn’t in that same situation or suffering such an issue.

That being said, some positions are generally better than others in terms of promoting healthy sleep. For example, sleeping on your back or side is almost always a better option than sleeping on your front, since the former positions are better at keeping the spine adequately aligned and supported through the night.

Don’t despair if you’re a die-hard front sleeper, though. Sleeping on your stomach is better than getting no sleep at all, and you can always offset potential issues with spine alignment by choosing a mattress that’s recommended for front sleepers.

Back sleeping position

Sleeping on your back is a great option for most people. It leaves the airways open, keeps the spine aligned and ensures your weight is evenly distributed across your body, which can help to minimise aches and pains. It’s also ideal if you’re congested and suffering from a stuffy nose, particularly if you prop up your upper body slightly with a few pillows.

In addition, back sleeping can help to slow certain signs of ageing. If your face is pressed up against a pillow on a nightly basis, it could allow deep wrinkles to set in more quickly. Sleeping on your back leaves your face free of this.

Those who often wake up with a sore neck will also find that switching to back sleeping helps. It can help to prevent misalignment of the neck, which can occur when sleeping on your side or front. Bonus points if you use a memory foam pillow that allows the head to sink down while keeping the neck supported.

On the negative side, back sleeping can encourage snoring. So, those prone to making a lot of nocturnal noise should try to sleep on their side, especially if their snoring is disturbing their partner.

Side sleeping position

Sleeping on the side is the most common sleeping position, and one of the healthiest. In fact, by adulthood more than 60% of people will have defaulted to sleeping on their sides.

Side sleeping is the best position for spinal alignment, which is the reason such sleepers are the least likely to suffer back pain. As mentioned, it could even help fix issues with snoring, if you’re a sufferer. In addition, it’s also the recommended position for pregnant women. With the knees bent, side sleeping can help to relieve the aches and pains caused by an ever-growing belly, especially when pillows are placed under the bump and between the legs for support.

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Stomach sleeping position

Stomach sleeping is the least common sleeping position and provides the least amount of spine support. The latter means this position is also the most likely to lead to aches and pains. As such, it isn’t regarded as a healthy sleeping position, particularly for pregnant women and individuals suffering from neck and/or back pain.

One potential positive is that it could help to reduce snoring, but this can also be achieved by sleeping on the side, which is the better position overall. If you must sleep on your front, be sure to invest in a mattress that’s designed to support your body in this position.

Foetal sleep position

You might assume that sleeping in a foetal position – with a curved spine, with your head, legs and arms pulled in close to your body – is good for your health, since it isn’t dissimilar to side sleeping. However, the extreme curvature of this position can cause issues with the spine, which is the reason it isn’t recommended.

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Sleeping position and health conditions

If you have a health condition that makes sleeping difficult, tailoring your sleeping position to best suit your condition could help to achieve a better night’s rest. We spoke to Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity, to discover the best sleeping positions for some of the most common conditions.

Back pain

“The best sleeping position for back pain depends on the individual, where the pain is and other factors such as age and additional medical conditions”, explains Artis. “The first thing is to ensure your bed is offering proper support. If not, it’s important to try out different mattresses to find the right one.

“We suggest either sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees, which maintains the natural curve of the spine and reduces pressure on the lower back, or on your side with a pillow between your knees”, she adds. The latter helps to keep the spine aligned and reduces strain on the hips and lower back.

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Acid reflux

Acid reflux can be a real disturbance when trying to get a good night’s sleep. “Sleeping on your left side can help to keep this at bay”, says Artis. “This position helps to keep the stomach below the oesophagus, which may help prevent stomach acid from flowing back into the oesophagus.” She adds that elevating the head with a wedge pillow or raising the head of the bed can also help reduce acid reflux symptoms during the night.

Pregnancy

“Sleeping during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester can be trying,” explains Artis. “The extra weight, heartburn and little ninja kicks can make it tricky to get comfortable.”

As mentioned already, the best sleeping position for pregnancy is generally considered to be on your left side. “This position helps improve circulation to the heart and allows for better blood flow to the foetus, uterus and kidneys”, she says.

“Sleeping on the left side also helps relieve pressure on the lower back and reduces swelling in the feet and ankles by preventing the uterus from pressing against the liver.” Artis suggests using one of the many support pillows available on the market to help improve comfort and support.

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Conclusion

In general, then, back sleeping and side sleeping will be the best sleeping positions for the vast majority of people. While front sleeping isn’t usually advised, if you’re someone who struggles to sleep in any other position, then try to at least ensure you’re sleeping on a mattress that’s been designed to provide the right support.

Those with certain health conditions, including pregnant people and individuals with back problems, should pay extra attention to their sleeping position and try to sleep in one that suits their specific needs.