Healthy sleep: What stomach sleepers should know
Sleeping on your stomach is said to be unhealthy. The main reason for this is that the upper area of the spine is exposed to additional stress:
The head has to be turned in the prone position to allow more or less unhindered breathing. This means that the spine and muscles remain in a twisted position and cannot properly regenerate during the night. In the long term, this sleeping position can lead to discomfort in the back and neck.
For comparison: For back-friendly sleep, the spine should be kept as neutral as possible. In this position, the spine is in its natural double S-shape and can relax completely. For stomach sleepers, nightly relief is correspondingly difficult.
When lying on your stomach brings relaxation
Despite the pre-programmed incorrect posture of the spine, lying on your stomach can be positive. While the supine position is a healthy posture, it also promotes snoring. Various studies show that on average around 60% of men and 40% of women are snorers. This means that snoring is quite common and keeps some people from gathering new energy at night.
It is often underestimated what consequences snoring can have. Apart from the fact that partners suffer from the nightly noise level, snorers demonstrably feel less rested. No wonder, because the chattering breathing is strenuous and, in the long term, heavy snoring can lead to dangerous breathing pauses – sleep apnea.
A relaxed prone position, in which the spine comes as close as possible to its neutral position with the help of additional pillows, can help. Especially with tongue base snoring, this position prevents the tongue from falling into the throat and prevents you from getting rest at night.
It is often underestimated what consequences snoring can have. Apart from the fact that partners suffer from the nightly noise level, snorers demonstrably feel less rested. No wonder, because the chattering breathing is strenuous and, in the long term, heavy snoring can lead to dangerous breathing pauses – sleep apnea.
A relaxed prone position, in which the spine comes as close as possible to its neutral position with the help of additional pillows, can help. Especially with tongue base snoring, this position prevents the tongue from falling into the throat and prevents you from getting rest at night.
Better to sleep on your stomach?
If the prone position is simply preferred as a sleeping position, you can try to get used to a different position. Special pillows or backpacks can help with this by preventing you from rolling onto your stomach. With an adjustable slatted frame, slightly raising the foot area can also help.
If there is no chance of getting used to it, you can still bring some relief to your body. The best head support is a thin, well-coordinated pillow that fills the area between the body and the mattress. An additional pillow in the hip area can also ensure improved positioning of the spine. You should also focus on strengthening your back muscles to prevent discomfort. Targeted back exercises will also get you moving and are good for the whole body.
In any case, avoid large pillows on which you lie with your entire upper body. This will cause the spine to bend sharply and be unnecessarily stressed again.
If there is no chance of getting used to it, you can still bring some relief to your body. The best head support is a thin, well-coordinated pillow that fills the area between the body and the mattress. An additional pillow in the hip area can also ensure improved positioning of the spine. You should also focus on strengthening your back muscles to prevent discomfort. Targeted back exercises will also get you moving and are good for the whole body.
In any case, avoid large pillows on which you lie with your entire upper body. This will cause the spine to bend sharply and be unnecessarily stressed again.
