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The sleeping postures that allow a more restful sleep
Dream
Habits such as sleeping on the back can lead to problems such as obstructive apneas
For a restful night to be restorative, a multitude of factors come into play. Avoid the “fearsome” blue light, do physical exercise, forget copious dinners, have the right temperature in the room … but another factor that must be taken into account, which is often taken for granted but often forgotten, is the good stance, essential element for a pleasant sleep.
There are things that are difficult to change once we have them included in our routine. Therefore, if we have the habit of sleeping on our back, on our side, with our legs stretched out, or in any other way in particular, it is normal that every night we repeat the same posture unconsciously. And, if this posture is not correct, it can end up leading to a muscle problem.
The most obvious are the postural ones; we have all once woken up with a terrible neck pain from sleeping in a strange posture, but we may find other types of negative factors. This is how Dr. Carles Gaig, coordinator of the study group on wakefulness and sleep disorders of the Spanish Neurology Society (SEN) explains: «There are positions that can predispose to certain sleep problems, mainly to a obstructive apnea». Dr. Gaig comments that while sleeping face up, we create a predisposition for the problem to occur and he points out that “it is not that breathing stops”, but that our airway, specifically the throat, closes and air cannot pass through it correctly. “There are people who have many apneas when they sleep on their back, and when sleeping on their side they disappear,” he says.
How to find the most comfortable position
On how we can sleep in a position and stay in it, the doctor explains that it is very complicated, because even if we feel that we have not moved at night, it is very likely that we have. «For example, if you do a sleep test, you usually see that a person wakes up many times at night, to settle down and change position“Explains Dr. Gaig, who continues and adds that, although we are not aware at night of these changes, it is very common to wake up for just a few seconds and adjust our position. “If, for example, we fall asleep on our stomach and we are not comfortable, we may change our position ourselves,” he says.
In the case of problems such as apneas caused by sleeping on the back, the doctor leaves the following «trick»: «One thing we recommend is put something uncomfortable on our back, so that it is impossible for us to sleep on our backs; We can sew a couple of small pockets on the back of a shirt (one in the lower back and one higher) and put a couple of balls inside. Thus, when we turn around we will be annoyed, and we will return to the side position ».
The advantages of sleeping on your side
Finally, it is important to consider the postural consequences of sleeping in “unorthodox” positions. Thus, at the muscular level, the most correct thing is to sleep on your side: in this way, we manage to keep our back straight during rest, which promotes comfort at bedtime and takes care of our postural health. If, although we fall asleep in this position, when we wake up we see that we are, for example, face down, a position that creates a lot of unnecessary tension in the area of our neck, we can help ourselves with a pillow, placed between the legs, in order to maintain lateral posture at night.
Basic tips for a good night’s sleep
Beyond maintaining good posture, we must take into account several factors to get the most restful night’s sleep possible. Therefore, it is important to follow basic guidelines, that they make us create a sleep routine and always rest well:
– Do not use electronic devices before sleeping: Dr. Oriol Franch, head of the Neurology Unit of the Ruber International Hospital, explains that it is very important to avoid distractions before going to bed: “We should not use the tablet or mobile phone, or discuss professional issues until the last minute. These habits are very harmful.
– Take care of the temperature: It is very important to take into account the temperature of the room, something essential to sleep without interruptions. Ideally, the room should be properly ventilated and between 18 and 22 degrees.
– Waking up with the sun: Dr. Carlos Egea, member of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), comments on the importance of establishing “chronological patterns”. Therefore, the ideal is to adjust our sleep to the rhythms of the sun’s pattern: go to bed a few hours after dark and wake up with the arrival of the first hours of daylight.