An ‘expert’ in sleeping posture claims that there is actually one time you actually should sleep in a posture that he calls a ‘car crash’.
James Leinhardt - who works for pillow and mattress company Levitex - issued the advice on TikTok to his followers.
You might remember James from another video in which he described sleeping on your stomach as ‘the worst sleeping position’.
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He explained: “This is literally the worst sleeping position... In fact, sorry, this is the worst ever sleeping position.
“You’re rotating your neck, you’re twisting it,” he explained.
“You’re putting your head up and you’re fighting all the natural curves of your spine.
“You’re compressing your vertebrae.
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“You’re getting pins and needles, neck pain and back pain.
“And you still do it every night... Why?!”
Well, because it’s comfy, James.
However, this time out he is explaining how there are actually occasions when lying on your front might be beneficial.
He points to the example of medical professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic, who would often put patients on their front with two pillows strategically positioned beneath them, a practice called ‘proning’.
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“In medical terms it’s a therapeutic intervention – you’ll have seen it during corona – it was significantly saving lives.
“If you got a patient on their stomachs, their oxygenation levels were changing, their SATs were going up, it was literally saving lives.”
So, he explains that if you put one pillow under your hips, and another under your chest leaving a gap for your diaphragm, you can then breathe in and out more easily.
He then later warned: “Before any of you sleeping on your stomach jump on this, this is only going to be used when there’s a clinical need, so corona is that perfect example - lying on your stomach was literally saving your life.
“There is no other reason to lie on your stomach other than this.”
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So, what are we supposed to do?
In another video, he explained how eventually your body might get uncomfortable sleeping like that, as well as outlining another way to work it.
“First of all, you want a pillow between the tip of your ear and the tip of your shoulder – one that fills that space,” he said.
“[…] The second thing you’re gonna do is put a pillow between your knees and ankles. That’s gonna support and stabilise this hip and keep you feeling safer, and you’re less likely to bring that leg over.
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“The third thing you’re gonna do is you’re going to hug a pillow – you're gonna de-weight that top shoulder.
“Hug it, and again you’re more stable and less likely to roll over.”
Tom Wood