Expert Reveals How Your Sleep Position Could Be Impacting Your Health

A sleep expert has warned that the position you sleep in may be having a negative impact on your health - and it's very bad news for those who sleep on their front.

Sammy Margo, a sleep expert and physiotherapist, revealed that your sleep position can affect more than just your sleeping.

Speaking to the Sun, Margo said that the 'freefaller knee up' position - in which you lie on your front with your hands up near your head and one leg cocked to the side - can result in hip problems as it puts unnecessary strain on your front. It also puts pressure on your back.

Olya Adamovich from Pixabay

However, it's the 'freefaller' position - which is pretty much the same but without the bent leg - that is the worst according to Margo.

She said: "Probably the worst position anyone can sleep in, this could leave you with a lifetime of back and neck problems.

"Your lower back bends in towards the mattress, which means it becomes hyper-extended, squashing structures and reducing the space in the lower back area, which may cause aches and pains such as sciatica, knee pain and cramps."

Ouch.

Margo says if you struggle to nod off in any other position then you should use a pillow under your stomach and another under your shins to help take some of the strain off your body.

Meanwhile, the 'foetal' position - on your side curled up - can give you a bit of a sore neck if you're not properly supporting your head with pillows. She also reckons having your face squished against a pillow for hours on end could cause wrinkles.

Dieter Robbins from Pixabay

Margo added: "This position is still better for you than lying on your stomach, but add a pillow between knees to keep hips neutral."

Next up, the 'soldier' position - which sees the sleeper lying on their back with their arms by their sides.

Margo says this is a bad sleep position for snorers or those with sleep apnoea, and it can also exacerbate acid reflux or heartburn as well as aggravating lower back pain.

She suggests sleeping with a pillow under you knees to try and reduce strain.

If you sleep in the 'starfish' position, on your back with your arms and legs spread, then you might be making yourself more susceptible to nightmares, according to Margo.

Meanwhile, people who sleep in the 'log' position, on their side with arms and legs straight down, might end up with shoulder pains.

Margo told the Sun: "As you age, the area becomes less fleshy so sleeping on it for six to eight hours a night puts a lot of pressure on the shoulder.

Wokandapix from Pixabay

"You could ease any pain by putting something such as a mattress topper between your shoulder and the mattress to create a little cushioning."

She also believes it could make stomach conditions worse as your body struggles to digest food in that position.

Lastly, Margo says those who sleep in the 'yearner' position, on your side with both arms out in front, run the risk of giving themselves saggy boobs.

She recommends that any big boobed yearner sleepers invest in a decent sleep bra for extra support at night.

Topics: Science, Interesting, Sleep, Health

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19