Vote No To Prone ZZZs

Happy Monday! I bet some of you wish you were still in bed catching a few extra zzz’s. I have previously talked about the importance of getting 8 hours of sleep but is it it possible that your sleep position costing you restful sleep?

Assuming we average 8 hours of sleep every night, this means that 33% of your life is spent sleeping!!! If you aren’t paying attention to how you sleep then it is time you start.

In no instances should you ever sleep at night lying prone (on your stomach). This position allows gravity to act on our body in a negative way. It increases pressure in our chest making it harder to breathe, compresses our digestive organs, increases pressure on the lumbar lordosis, and finally it forces you to turn your neck one way or the other.

The constant position may cause you to wake up with chronic neck pain or acute neck spasms. Instead stick to sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees or your side, preferably your left, with a pillow between your knees. These 2 positions keep your spine more neutral keeping any extra stress off the spine.

Homework: Pay attention to your sleeping position. If you are finding yourself waking up at night or sleeping on your stomach try one of the 2 positions above.