Bad attitude also haunts us in our dreams…
We already know what conditions promote good sleep, or whether it’s okay for us to sleep with our dog in the same bed — but we may not have thought that our preferred sleeping position could be harmful, too.
But here it is: according to experts, sleeping on your stomach can have serious consequences for your body.
Levitex, a pillow and mattress company made up of “posture experts,” recently shared a video on TikTok in which one of its employees explains how sleeping on your stomach can damage your spine. According to him, when a person lies on his stomach, the muscles of the upper leg are stretched longer than they are good. “Muscles don’t like to be stretched for too long,” says one expert. “None of you are used to watching TV like this.” So why hold your neck for hours? “
The worst we can do
Although sleeping on your stomach can relieve the symptoms of snoring and sleep apnea sometimes, that’s about all the positives we can say about this position. It combines the bad qualities of almost every other posture, so instead of relaxing it, it compresses the spine, leading to back pain, and forces the neck into a stiff, extended position.
The expert noted that hundreds of years ago this might not have been a problem for people, but now that many people are sedentary – meaning they spend most of the day sitting – this is a real risk. Sitting at a desk all day has a bad enough effect on our body, so it is not a good idea to sleep in a position that also has a bad effect on our spine. “If it’s a legal requirement (in the US) to have an ergonomic chair for our work during the day, why not consider an ergonomic sleeping position at night as well?” “It’s exactly the same thing,” he added.
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According to the expert, even sleeping on your side can be problematic if you do it wrong. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Maybe it’s comfortable, maybe it’s the only way to sleep. But I tell you, at some point in your life, when you’re 60, 70, You’ll get arthritis.” The expert warned that sleeping in this position will cause pain all over the body, including the neck, hips, shoulders and side joints. “This time will come, please believe me,” he added.
So what is the solution?
According to experts, we should try to stop falling asleep in these positions (which, of course, is not that easy, but not impossible). However, if there is absolutely no opportunity for this, and we can only sleep on our stomachs, then at least we do it without a pillow to relieve the burden on our necks.
Photo: Getty Images
Sleeping on your back with your hands next to your body is one of the best sleeping positions. It takes the burden off our spine, neck, and arms, improves our posture, reduces GERD, prevents sagging breasts, reduces the chance of headaches, and even helps prevent wrinkles later on. The downside is that it can increase snoring in people with sleep apnea. It might be a good idea to sleep on your back without a pillow, or to prop your knees down with a pillow to take the load off your waist even more.
Featured image: Getty Images
