Eventually, you reach an age where “being tired” is no longer just a feeling—it’s become part of your personality.
“Two of the main reasons my clients can’t sleep are stress and pain,” says neuroscientist and board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Dave Rabin, MD, PhD, the co-founder and chief innovation officer at Apollo Neuroscience. “My work with clients helps them learn how to better adapt to and recover from stress to improve sleep, which is at the foundation of feeling better. It’s amazing how much easier life can feel when we get restful sleep. Most people struggle with sleep because of stress left over from the day or stress about sleep itself,” Dr. Rabin explains.
Um, yep, sounds about right.
“Stress (emotional, mental, or physical) is a major contributor to worsening pain because it increases inflammation in the body. Many people wake up with aches and pains or can’t sleep as a result of chronic pain,” Dr. Rain tells us.
A common culprit? The position we sleep in.
“A comfortable, pain-free sleeper is the best sleeper,” Dr. Rabin says. Kinda like how the best workout is the one you’ll be consistent with, the best sleep position is the one where you’re comfortable and pain-free.
“Every body is unique, and the best sleeping position is the one that prevents pain and supports posture,” he continues. “There’s no one size fits all, but there are certainly some positions that are better than others.”
Ofc, there are many sleep position variations (shout out to our fellow “on your stomach with one knee bent up to your chest and arms akimbo” sleepers), but generally they fall into one of three main categories: side, back, or stomach.
Below, we take a look at the pros and cons of each.
Benefits: Dr. Rabin says that side sleeping tends to be a comfortable position for people with back pain, and it can help reduce snoring. “Snoring can be quite disruptive, not just if you share a bed, but also to the snorer,” Dr. Rabin says. If you’re a snorer or sleep next to one, he recommends sleeping on your side versus on your back.
Pregnant people and those with acid reflux may also be more comfortable sleeping on their side.
Drawbacks: Side sleeping is generally not recommended for people with shoulder pain (for obvious reasons). It can also contribute to face, neck, and chest wrinkles because your face is pressed against the pillow. This causes the skin on your neck and décolleté to bunch up.
Sigh.
Tips:
– If you’re concerned about wrinkles but are #teamsidesleeper4eva, consider using a silk pillowcase, which creates less friction between your skin and your pillow and helps your skin remain flat. For chest and neck wrinkles, silicone patches worn overnight can help smooth existing lines and prevent skin from bunching up.
– If you have gastrointestinal issues or are pregnant, sleeping on your left side may give you more benefits than sleeping on your right side.
Benefits: This can also be a comfy position for people with back pain, according to Dr. Rabin. He recommends a well-supported, firmer mattress. Sleeping on your back doesn’t contribute to wrinkles, and it’s helpful if you have a stuffy nose—provided you prop up your head and upper back with pillows.
Drawbacks: If you’re a snorer and/or have sleep apnea, sleeping on your back tends to make it worse. Heartburn and acid reflux are also more likely.
Tips:
– It can be helpful for back sleepers with acid reflux and heartburn to use pillows to prop up their head and upper back. Placing a pillow underneath your knees can help make back sleeping more comfortable by relieving pressure on the lower back.
Benefits: Sorry, stomach sleepers—this is pretty much the worst position to sleep in. Though, one pro is that it can help reduce snoring.
Drawbacks: “Stomach sleeping, or the prone position, can add pressure to the spine and increase back and neck pain. It can also reduce mobility in the chest, making it harder to breathe, and it’s not generally recommended,” Dr. Rabin says. “When you have to work harder to breathe, it can make your sleep less restorative.”
Not to mention, this sleep position can also contribute to face, chest, and neck wrinkles.
Tips:
– Making the switch to sleeping on your side or back is beneficial for people with neck and back pain. Because that can be difficult, try surrounding yourself with pillows to keep you from rolling over in your sleep.
– If you can’t quit sleeping on your stomach, use a thin pillow or no pillow to help reduce strain on your neck. Placing a thin pillow underneath your lower stomach/upper thigh can lessen the strain on your spine.
– Choosing a medium to firm mattress can also help minimize the drawbacks.
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Dr. Dave Rabin, MD, PhD, is a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, co-founder & chief innovation officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first, scientifically-validated, wearable technology that actively improves sleep, relaxation, focus, and calm by using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain.
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