Getting enough sleep is important- but did you know that how you sleep can also impact your health?


1. On Your Back, Arms at Sides

Sleeping on your back with your arms at your side is generally considered to be the best sleeping position for spine health and it’s good for your neck, too, as long as you don’t use too many pillows. That said, back sleepers tend to snore more than those in any other position and sleep apnea is strongly associated with sleeping on the back.

2. On Your Back, Arms Up

This so-called “starfish” position is also good for the back. Whether you have your arms up around your pillow or not, sleeping on your back may also help to prevent facial wrinkles and skin breakouts. However, like the arms-down back sleeping position, this one can also result in snoring and problems with acid reflux. Plus, having your arms up can put pressure on nerves in your shoulders, leading to pain.

3. Face Down

Sleeping on your stomach can improve digestion but unless you’ve developed a way to breathe through your pillow, it most likely leads to you tilting your face in one direction or the other. This can put a lot of strain on the neck. Sleeping face down can also cause back pain, as the curve of the spine is not supported.

4. Fetal Position

Sleeping all curled up into a ball with your knees drawn up and your chin tilted down might be comfortable but it can do a number on your back and neck.

The extreme curl of the fetal position can also restrict deep breathing. That considered, sleeping like a fetus can have you sleeping like a baby if you typically have problems with snoring or if you’re pregnant.
 

5. On Side, Arms at Sides

When you’re sleeping on your side with both arms down, the spine is best supported in its natural curve. This can definitely help reduce back and neck pain while also reducing sleep apnea. The downside? Sleeping on the side can contribute to skin aging due to gravity, meaning facial wrinkles.

6. On Side, Arms Out

This position has many of the same benefits of sleeping on your side with your arms straight down. However, any side sleeping can cause shoulder and arm pain due to restricted blood flow and pressure on the nerves, which may be exacerbated by having your arms out in front of you.

7. On the Right Side

If you’re a side-sleeper, which side you sleep on also makes a difference. Sleeping on the right side can worsen heartburn while sleeping on the left side can put strain on internal organs like the liver, lungs, and stomach (while minimizing acid reflux). For pregnant sleepers, doctors typically advise sleeping on the left side, since this can improve circulation to the fetus.

8. Pillow-Supplemented

Regardless of which sleeping position you prefer, it’s highly likely that you can get a better night’s rest with less pain in the morning by supplementing your body with a pillow.

Back sleepers can put a small pillow under the arch of their spine, side sleepers can place a pillow between their knees, and stomach sleepers can place a pillow under their hips to support the joints and allow for full, pain-free relaxation.

1. Stretch your neck

 

• Incline your head forward, but do not roll your head from side to side- this is dangerous. Instead, stretch your neck to the left, right, forward and back, but always return to the center first.
• Tilt your head with ear towards shoulder, incline your head backwards and roll your head from left to right, then right to left in a 30 degree motion.
• Be sure that while your head is tilted back, you keep your jaw relaxed and even let your mouth fall open just a bit.

2. Stretch your shoulder

•  Put your arm on your chest.
• Grab your forearm with the opposite arm.
• Pull your arm until you feel your shoulder being stretched.
• Push the arm you are stretching the opposite way in order to contract the muscle if you feel that your chest is stretching instead of your shoulder.

3. Stretch your triceps 

 

• Reach up with your right arm.
• Bend your right elbow and put your forearm down behind your head and between your shoulder blades.
• Reach up and grab your right elbow with your opposite arm.
• Pull your elbow towards your head.

4. Stretch your scapulae.

 

• Extend your arms in front of you.
• Join both hands together and cross fingers.
• Push your arms further and try to push your scapulae in opposite directions. 

5. Stretch your wrist

 

• Hold your arm out. 
• Slightly pull back your hand down with your opposite hand.
• Repeat with other hand.

6. Stretch your quadriceps

 

• Stand up and pull one leg behind you.
• Repeat with other leg.

7. Stretch your calves

 

• Put your arms up against the wall.
• Bring one leg in towards it while keeping your other leg straight.
• Repeat with other leg.

8. Stretch your hamstrings

 

• Sit on the floor and put one leg out.
• Reach for it and hold for a few seconds.
• Repeat with other leg, and then do it with both legs.

9. Stretch your legs fully

 

• Lay flat on your back and extend your legs out
• Grab the back of your thigh
• Pull your leg towards your face
• Don't jerk your leg, it may cause an injury.

10. Do a butterfly stretch

 

• Sit on the floor.
• Press the soles of your feet together.
• Pull your feet the closest you can.
• Put your hands on your ankles to where your elbows are lined up with your knees.
• Push against your elbows trying to close your legs. 
• Push your knees down.

11. Stretch your lower back

 

• Lie down.
• Bring one leg onto your chest.
• Repeat with your other leg, and then do it with both.