Although a good mattress and pillows are usually associated with comfortable sleeping, one vital aspect to achieving a good night’s sleep is the sleeping posture. 

Experts indicated that sleeping on the back is actually the best possible position to minimise back pain and neck pain during the night, reports Sade Oguntola.

There is nothing like a good night’s sleep. Sufficient sleep at night is not only important for the survival but for overall well-being and health. While anyone may be at risk to an occasional sleeplessness, it is lack of good night sleep on a regular basis, also known as insomnia or prolonged sleep loss that comes with long term harmful consequences.

Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Sleep is clinically proven to increase concentration. Though one may be tempted to skimp on sleep in order to increase one’s productivity, the next day productivity will be greatly reduced due to poor concentration. Also, the more sleep a person gets, the better his decision-making skills are. People who sleep less have a much higher obesity rate than the rest of the population. Sleep helps to boost body immunity and reduce body’s stress level.

While there are no absolute rules, there are a few general guidelines about sleeping positions that are most comfortable, beneficial or can actually harm an individual’s overall health. For instance, sleeping the right way can help to reduce chances of having neck and back pain, enhance the healing process in some disease conditions as well as help to ensure faster recovery in injured people.

Many activities in the day could have put stress on the back, even some activities that are not thought of as being exhausting at all. These activities may result in minor aches and pains and over time cause chronic back problems. Still, many people never make the connection between their early morning back pain and the condition of their bedding or how they position themselves in bed at night.

Back pain and sleep don’t always go together. Although good mattress and pillows are usually associated with comfortable sleeping, one vital aspect to achieving a good night’s sleep is the sleeping posture.  Sleep positioning plays a huge part in minimising back pain and neck pain during the night. It can affect an existing back pain, thus making sleeping uncomfortable or even impossible.

The most common sleeping positions people adopt in bed are side sleeping, back sleeping and stomach sleeping. Side sleeping is the most common of the three and it is considered the most suitable because it reduces the incidences of snoring; it helps to release breathing airways and it is the most helpful position for pregnant women to reduce the pressure of their wombs. Unlike back sleeping, stomach sleeping is more common in infants and small children than in adults. However, sleeping on the stomach is considered harmful for the neck because it could cause neck strain, neck pain and stiffness.

What is the best sleep positioning that reduces back pain and neck pain during the night?  Individuals that wake up sore or achy every morning despite having a new mattress may need to re-evaluate their sleeping posture. According to Dr Segun Ogunlade, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, sleeping on the back is the best position that reduces back pain because it completely unloads the stress on the spine and allows for the natural curve of the lower back to be maintained.

While there are no fixed rules that all people should sleep on their back, there are a few general guidelines about sleeping positions that are most comfortable for the back. According to Dr Ogunlade, “the best sleeping position is to lie on one’s back on a firm mattress. But when the mattress is not firm, a small flat pillow can be tucked underneath the back of the knees. This position tends to relax the back and will not cause back pain. “

The spine is not meant to be straight. It has three natural curves: one in the lower back, one in the middle of the back and one near the neck. For this reason,” people that are prone to back pain are usually admonished to also put a small pillow in their low back (loin) aside that used as an head rest so that the normal curvature of the back is still maintained while sleeping. It would ensure that they do not wake up only to start feeling back pains after rising from bed,” Dr Ogunlade declared.

Hardly do people maintain the same sleeping position all through the night. Whether the side or stomach sleeping position is maintained, there is still the need for flat pillows to maintain the natural curvature of the spine when the mattress is not firm.

If sleeping on the side, the aligned and flexed legs and hips leaves the upper leg unsupported, the top knee and thigh sliding forward as it rest on the mattress, while rotating the lower spine. This slight rotation may contribute to back or hip pain. Nonetheless, “when lying on one’s side on a side mattress, which is not firm, the advice is for the individual to place a small, flat pillow between the knees and thighs to reduce stress on the spine. This would be complemented by another low pillow supporting the  head and neck,” he said.

Sleeping on the stomach is not one of the recommended sleeping positions for preventing back pain unless a pillow is used under the hips for support. However getting used to this sleeping position for back pain might take a couple of nights and practicing the different recommended options.

Believe it or not there are other benefits of sleeping on one’s back. It can help to reduce acid reflux. Elevation of the head is important because the stomach will be below the oesophagus. So acid or food doesn’t come back up.

Nonetheless, different types of mattresses can help to alleviate pain for different types of back problems and symptoms. In actuality, there are several factors to consider when choosing a mattress. This includes the type of back problem one is experiencing, sleep positioning, mattress support, and one’s comfort preference.

For instance, people with lower back pain would require a medium firm mattress while those with lumbar disc problems would benefit from a firm mattress as a bending or flexing mattress can be very uncomfortable.

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