Between the Sheets
Brace yourself for a full-on invasion into your bedroom pastimes, for this article deals directly with what transpires in your bed… and how it transpires. Do not reach for your lawyer’s number just yet; we ask to hear us out and possibly find several good pieces of advice that concern your sleeping pattern. Did you know that it is not only the quality of your sleep, but your waking hours as well are affected by your choice of sleeping position and bedding? Keep calm and snooze on, we only mean to pry into your chamber business with the purpose of improving the quality of your shuteye and spinal health. After reading this, you will learn how to make up for your ungodly pose of repose either with an old pillow of your grandmother or with a carefully picked orthopedic memory foam pillow like Ortorex.
What’s Your Favorite Position?
With a risk of boring you, let us say off the bat that it is the sleep position we’re talking about here. Commonly, they are:
- Supine position with arms along the trunk,
- The (rock) star position face up and arms outstretched.
- In the fetal position, i.e. lying on your side with your legs curled up;
- In semi-fetal position, that is, lying on one side with the legs and thighs slightly bent;
- In a trunk position, with the legs and arms extended at the sides.
- Your face down on the pillow, if you think that oxygen is overestimated.
- With your head turned, showing your best side at an unlikely angle of 90°.
A “right” sleeping position can in fact have a significant positive impact
- On the quality of sleep itself,
- On skin health,
- On joint health,
- On the content of your dreams (we all see the next season of Outlander cancelled in our nightmares, but now we know that it is the wrong pillow, not the show’s producer, is to blame!).
Sexy Back
The belly-up sleeping position is also called the supine position, soldier position, or star position. Cosplay aside, it is known that it is better to sleep on your back – on your stomach – rather than sleep on your stomach or side. In fact, sleeping on your back makes it easier to keep your neck and back straight and let the mattress support the spine. To have a quality night’s sleep, you should invest in a comfortable mattress such as these from Unclutterer.
The additional advantages of sleeping on your back: the face of those who apply half of the national debt in facial creams before going to sleep remains hydrated and the cream does not end up moisturizing the pillow.
Side Fling
Most people sleep on their side. Sleeping on the left side – in particular – can have some particular advantages:
- It facilitates the flow of blood to the heart (a benefit that is particularly welcome to pregnant women);
- It can help relieve acid reflux and heartburn. On the other hand, sleeping on the left side,
- It puts pressure on the stomach and lungs;
- It can potentially cause tingling in the left arm if it is placed under the head.
Do it on Your Stomach
Sleeping on your stomach is certainly the best way to avoid – or at least reduce – the phenomena of snoring or sleep apnea. Apart from this advantage, the belly-down position is certainly the least suitable position for sleeping. This is because it flattens the curve of the spine, which favors the onset of back pain. Finally, according to a recent study, there is a strong correlation between the sleeping position on the stomach and particularly intense dreams.
Pillow Talk
From what has been said, you’ve already grasped the idea that:
- Sleeping on your back is the healthiest way to spend your hours sleeping;
- Sleeping on your side also has its advantages, while sleeping on your stomach is definitely not healthy.
You will then wonder what sense it can have to talk about pillows and mattresses in this context. First you need to know that the main function of the pillow (and also the mattress) is to maintain the best alignment of the spine, and at the same time to guarantee us comfort and comfort so that we can sleep well.
Given these premises, it must be said in general that
- A soft pillow, of medium thickness is suitable for those who sleep on the back: a pillow in synthetic foam could be the ideal solution;
- A harder type pillow with a medium-high thickness is good for those who sleep on the side: the most suitable orthopedic memory foam pillow in this case are those in synthetic foam or latex;
- Those who sleep on their stomach should sleep without a pillow or with a low thickness pillow: those in feather are the most suitable pillows in this case.
Each of these positions has advantages and disadvantages. There is often a lack of awareness on how sleep can have significant repercussions on our daily activities and affect how we feel the next day. A good sleep is certainly a starting point if you want to improve the overall quality of your life. To improve the quality of the hours we spend in bed, paradoxically, we must pay attention to what we do when we are awake: it is in fact a chain of actions and reactions that follow one another, and which affect each other (so go get yourself that right bedding!).