Interestingly, a study revealed that 10% of adults sleep on their backs, even though there are many advantages to this sleep position.
Along with the benefits of sleeping on your back, however, there are a few drawbacks. We’re here to break it all down for you and talk about how to make supine slumber work for you. Whether you’re considering a change in your sleep posture or simply looking to understand the benefits and disadvantages of different sleeping positions, this guide offers insights to help you find the perfect sleep position for your health and well-being.
- Key Takeaways
- How to Train Yourself to Sleep on Your Back
- What Are the Benefits of Sleeping on Your Back?
- What Are the Potential Downsides of Sleeping on Your Back?
- When to Avoid a Supine Sleeping Position
- Back Sleeping: Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping Up: How to Sleep on Your Back
Key Takeaways
- Back sleeping offers numerous benefits, including reduced heartburn, better spine alignment, and potential wrinkle prevention.
- To train yourself to sleep on your back, use a supportive mattress, place a pillow under your knees, ensure proper head and neck alignment, and consider creating a pillow barrier.
- While beneficial for many, back sleeping may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with sleep apnea, pregnant women past 20 weeks, or chronic snorers.
- The right sleep setup is crucial for comfortable back sleeping — consider a medium-firm mattress and an adjustable pillow for optimal support.
- If you experience discomfort while back sleeping, try adjusting your pillow height, adding lower back support, or consulting a doctor for personalized advice.
How to Train Yourself to Sleep on Your Back
Learning how to sleep on your back can be a transformative experience for your sleep quality and overall health. While it may feel unnatural initially, especially if you’re accustomed to side or stomach sleeping, you can successfully transition to back sleeping with the right approach and persistence. Here’s how to learn to sleep on your back:
1. Choose a supportive mattress
Opt for a mattress with medium firmness for the perfect balance of support and comfort. A supportive mattress, such as a memory foam mattress, helps maintain proper alignment, reducing the risk of back pain.
This type of mattress allows your body to settle into a natural position, supporting the natural curves of your spine while preventing excessive sinking that could misalign your vertebrae.
2. Place a pillow beneath your knees
Placing a pillow beneath your knees is a simple yet effective technique to enhance back sleeping comfort. This strategy helps reduce strain on your spine by maintaining its natural curve, which can reduce lower back pain from sleeping. The pillow slightly elevates your legs, alleviating pressure on your lower back.
This position can be particularly beneficial for those with lower back pain or discomfort, as it helps distribute your body weight and promotes better spinal alignment throughout the night.
3. Ensure proper head and neck alignment
Choose a pillow that’s neither too high nor too low, allowing your head to rest in a neutral position. Your head should be supported without being pushed forward or allowed to tilt back excessively.
Additionally, consider slightly elevating your upper body. You can do this with a wedge pillow or by investing in an adjustable bed base. This slight elevation can also help with issues like acid reflux and may improve breathing for some individuals.
4. Create a pillow barrier
For those transitioning from side or stomach sleeping, creating a pillow barrier can be helpful. Place pillows on both sides of your body to help maintain the back-sleeping position throughout the night.
This pillow barrier can prevent you from unconsciously rolling onto your side or stomach while sleeping. Over time, as you become more accustomed to back sleeping, you may find you no longer need this barrier.
5. Practice breathing techniques
Adjusting to a new sleep position can be challenging and may initially cause some discomfort. Practicing breathing techniques before bed can help ease this transition. Deep, slow breathing can promote relaxation and relieve stress, making it easier to fall asleep in your new position.
Try techniques like the 4-7-8 method to calm your mind as you prepare for sleep. Consistent practice of these techniques can aid your transition to back sleeping and improve your overall sleep quality.
What Are the Benefits of Sleeping on Your Back?
While most adults find the fetal position the most comfortable position for rest, sleeping on your back could be better.
Supine sleeping could be good for sleepers who want to:
- Reduce heartburn: Sleeping on your back with your head and chest slightly elevated is the best position to help eliminate nightly heartburn. Along with avoiding late-night snacks and alcohol, this sleeping pose can stop uncomfortable symptoms.
- Prevent acid reflux: This position might also be the best way to stave off acid reflux. Just ensure your stomach is lower than your esophagus so that food and acid can’t crawl up your digestive tract while you sleep.
- Alleviate neck pain: Keeping your neck aligned with the rest of your spine can be challenging if you sleep on your side or stomach. With the right pillow support, you can keep your neck in a neutral position all night long when you sleep supine.
- Prevent shoulder stress: Sleeping on your side can mean you wake up with a lot of shoulder pain on the side against the mattress. Snoozing on your back eliminates this issue.
- Put less pressure on internal organs: Sleeping face up may not only be good for your spine. As it turns out, you also put less pressure on your internal organs when you sleep on your back.
- Reduce wrinkles and fine lines: When you sleep on your back, your face doesn’t come into contact with the pillow, which can cause creasing and contribute to the formation of wrinkles over time. Additionally, it can prevent the accumulation of oils and bacteria from your pillowcase on your face, potentially reducing acne breakouts.
- Promote spine health: Sleeping on your back is often considered the best position for maintaining proper spinal alignment, which can help relieve sciatic pain. This position distributes your body weight evenly, minimizing pressure points and potentially improving overall posture even when you’re awake.
- Relieve sinus pressure: Back sleeping with your head slightly elevated can help with sinus drainage. This position allows gravity to work in your favor, helping to drain mucus from your nasal passages and reducing congestion. However, it’s important to note that this benefit may not apply to individuals with sleep apnea, who might need to consult with a healthcare provider for the best sleeping position.
What Are the Potential Downsides of Sleeping on Your Back?
Sleeping on your back isn’t for everyone. If you try sleeping on your back and you notice any of the following symptoms, going back to your side sleeping ways might be smart.
- Lower back pain: Some people have worse lower back pain when they sleep supine. While your shoulders and neck can remain aligned, your butt is likely to sink and arch your lower spine.
- Sleep apnea: Back sleeping is also notorious for making sleep apnea worse. The position can force your chin forward and obstruct your breathing. If you do sleep on your back with sleep apnea, make sure you fall asleep with your chin pointed up.
- Disrupted sleep: For some people, sleeping on your back will just never be comfortable. Unless a doctor has explicitly told you to sleep on your back, you can use a combination of back and side sleeping if it’s the best way to sleep through the night. Ultimately, getting enough REM cycles is the most important thing.
When to Avoid a Supine Sleeping Position
As great as sleeping on your back can be, there are some instances where your doctor may tell you to avoid it. If any of the following situations ring true, talk to your physician about whether or not you should try sleeping flat on your back.
- Beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy: Once you’re about 20 weeks pregnant, the weight of your uterus could compress the inferior vena cava, which is an important blood vessel. Once you’re about 5 months along, you’ll want to transition to side sleeping. Laying on your left side is particularly helpful because the vena cava is on your right side, so it remains completely unrestricted.
- Serious sleep apnea: Sleep apnea happens most commonly when your airway is obstructed, causing you to intermittently stop breathing during the night. This can happen because your throat muscles relax or because excess weight presses down on your throat while you sleep. In any case, sleeping flat on your back can make the issue worse. In addition to using a CPAP machine to help you sleep, your doctor may suggest an alternate sleeping position.
- Chronic snoring: A lot of snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, but it can also happen on its own. If you’re sleeping with a partner, they may ask you to stop sleeping on your back because it makes you more likely to snore loudly and disturb their sleep.
Back Sleeping: Frequently Asked Questions
What type of pillow is best for back sleeping?
A medium-firm pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck is ideal for sleeping on your back. This type of pillow helps maintain proper spinal alignment throughout the night. Memory foam pillows are particularly well-suited for back sleepers, as they can contour to your body’s natural curves, providing customized support for your head and neck.
The ideal pillow should keep your head in a neutral position, neither pushing it forward nor allowing it to tilt too far back. This ensures that your neck remains aligned with your spine, potentially reducing the risk of neck pain and stiffness.
What should I do if I experience lower back pain while sleeping on my back?
If you’re experiencing lower back pain while sleeping on your back, there are several strategies you can try:
- Place a small pillow or a rolled towel under your knees. This slight elevation helps maintain the natural curve of your lower back, reducing strain on the lumbar region.
- Consider adding support to your lower back. A small, flat pillow placed in the small of your back can give you additional support and help maintain good spinal alignment.
- Evaluate your mattress. If your mattress is old or sagging, it can force your back into an uncomfortable position, leading to back pain. A mattress that’s too soft may not provide adequate support, while one that’s too firm might create pressure points. A medium-firm mattress is the best mattress for back sleepers.
What is the best sleeping position?
The best position to sleep depends on several factors, including individual health conditions, personal comfort, and sleep quality. However, generally speaking, back sleeping is often considered one of the best sleep positions for the following reasons:
- Spinal alignment: Back sleeping helps maintain proper alignment of your spine, potentially reducing the risk of back and neck pain.
- Even weight distribution: This position distributes your body weight evenly, reducing pressure points.
- Facial benefits: Back sleeping may help prevent wrinkles and acne caused by facial contact with pillows that can accumulate dirt and oils.
- Acid reflux management: For some, back sleeping with a slightly elevated head can help manage acid reflux symptoms.
On the other hand, stomach sleeping is often not recommended, as it can cause back and neck pain. This position often forces your neck into an unnatural angle and can put unnecessary strain on your lower back.
Side sleeping is a popular and generally healthy option, especially for those who snore or have sleep apnea. However, it’s important to ensure proper alignment of the spine and support for the neck when side sleeping.
Ultimately, the best sleeping position is the one that allows you to get consistent, quality rest without causing pain or discomfort.
Wrapping Up: How to Sleep on Your Back
Sleeping on your back offers numerous benefits, from reducing back pain and preventing wrinkles to promoting better spinal alignment and alleviating acid reflux. While it may take some time to adjust to this new sleep position, the potential improvements to your sleep quality and overall health can make it a worthwhile endeavor.
Once you’ve mastered the art of sleeping on your back, you can further enhance your sleep experience with the right sleep system. When comparing memory foam to spring mattresses, many back sleepers find that memory foam provides superior comfort and support. Hybrid mattresses are also a great option, offering the best of both worlds.
Layla Sleep Mattresses are excellent choices for back sleepers, featuring innovative copper-infused foam that helps regulate temperature by wicking heat away from your body. Our unique flippable design offers two firmness options in one mattress, allowing you to choose between a firm or soft side to match your comfort preferences perfectly.
By investing in quality sleep products tailored to back sleeping, you’re not just improving your nights – you’re enhancing your overall quality of life. Remember, when you sleep better, you live better.
