Sleeping Posture Tips

Almost everyone during their lifetime will experience one or more episodes of back pain.    While there many causes for back pain, one of the treatable reasons for back pain is poor posture.     Poor posture over time can lead to degeneration, cartilage damage and ligaments and muscles either lengthening or shortening.

Poor posture may be reversible.     Like any change, relearning proper posture takes time and effort but the rewards make it all worthwhile.

Sleep  is something we all require and sleeping posture should be a vital component of your posture retraining.    Who hasn't woken up in the morning at some point complaining of pain?    Proper sleeping posture will at the very least reduce, if not eliminate, back and neck pain.

Here are some tips for good sleeping posture:

• Mattress:    Test your mattress for firmness.   When you are sleeping you want to have a neutral spine position.   A soft or sagging mattress will prevent your spine from resting in a neutral position.     If you need a new mattress, placing a board between the mattress and box spring will help until you are able to buy one.    Changing from a soft mattress to a firm mattress may cause some additional pain at the start, but your body should adjust to the new sleeping posture.   If the pain is substantially more intense or continues without abatement, a visit to your chiropractor is recommended.
  
• Pillow:    Never use more than one pillow.    The thickness of your pillow should be optimum to permit your head to lay in a normal position without forcing your head upwards from your neck.    Also, your pillow should not be under your shoulders, only your head.
  
• Good Sleeping Posture:   The goal of your sleeping position is to maintain your spinal curvature.    There are a few ways to accomplish this.     If you sleep on your back, a lumbar roll under your lower back or a pillow beneath your knees will keep your posture neutral.    For side sleepers, slightly bending your knees with a pillow between them will provide neutral spine position.
  
• Poor Sleeping Posture:    If you sleep on your side, do not pull your knees up to chest as this pulls your spinal posture out of alignment.   Sleeping on your stomach can cause back and neck pain by straining your spinal posture.
  
• Posture Aids:    There are a couple of ways of supporting your neck and back to ensure you sleep with your spine aligned.

One is a cervical roll which supports your neck.  Cervical rolls are about 3 inches in diameter and 18 inches long.    They are placed inside your pillowcase along the bottom edge of your pillow.   Cervical rolls work well for back and side sleepers.

The other is a lumbar roll for your lower back.      Lumbar rolls are approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter and are tied around your waist.     Lumbar rolls are beneficial for both back and side sleepers. 

Good sleeping posture is just one aspect of training your body for proper posture.     When you consider how many hours you spend sleeping every day, practicing good sleeping posture is important to controlling or minimizing back pain.