This month on the blog, James Leinhardt the Chief Sleep Posture Expert at Levitex talks about the importance of sleep posture and how to give people the tools to improve it.
There are thousands of companies selling sleep aids that guarantee you a perfect night’s sleep. You might have tried ‘sleepy time’ mists for your pillow, cool-touch mattresses or sleep masks.
The truth is, there is no such thing as a perfect night’s sleep. No product can impact whether you are too stressed to fall asleep or have to wake up for a 4am flight.
Sleep posture is not a product – it’s an approach to sleep positioning that constitutes the one thing you can genuinely address when it comes to your sleep. It draws from the clinical intervention of nighttime positioning for bed bound, immobile patients.
So that whether you get 4 or 8 hours sleep, you can definitely affect the quality of it via the medium of sleep posture.
Sleep experts like to emphasize the importance of sleep hygiene and often advise you to sleep for a minimum of 8 hours, but there is little information on how to get there. If you’re someone who struggles to sleep, such advice may further your anxiety.
Equally, many people who manage to sleep for 8 hours still wake up in the morning wishing they could press the snooze button. Perhaps it’s time to focus more on the quality, rather than the quantity.
So, if ‘make sure you sleep for 8 hours’ isn’t the advice that’s worked for you, optimizing your sleep posture just might.
What is sleep posture?
Sleep posture simply considers:
- The position you go to sleep in AND
- The surface you lie on at night to help support that position
Good sleep posture can help you:
- Wake up free from neck and back pain
- Improve your digestion and circulation
- Reduce snoring
- Lessen tension in your neck and shoulders
- Boost your energy levels and core strength
All of that is attainable whether you have to wake up for an early morning flight or get a lie in over the weekend.
So, how can you optimise your sleep posture?
Step 1: the position you lie in
Side sleeping – The Dreamer
There are two positions we love for optimised sleep posture – but our absolute favourite is The Dreamer, aka semi-foetal side lying.
To become a Dreamer, follow the steps below:
- Transition to sleeping on your side (either one is fine – we recommend alternating for the benefit of symmetry).
- Select the right pillow height for you: not too high and not too low, but just perfect for your body shape and size, giving your
head enough support and lift off your mattress. - Stick your old pillow between your knees and ankles. This will keep your hips neutral and help you maintain the optimal position.
Have a look at the images to the right– you can see the difference between side sleeping that’s that’s twisting your spine versus what’s called a neutral resting spine.
If you’re struggling to stay on your side, you can grab another pillow and ‘hug’ it in front of you – this will stop you from rolling over to your stomach.
Back sleeping – The Stargazer
Optimised back sleeping is great too, as it supports a better distribution of your body weight. Here’s how to make sure you’re doing it right.
- Choose a low pillow for your head. If your pillow is too high, your neck will be pushed forward. That’s not good for your posture and puts the same strain on your neck as looking down on your phone does.
- The pillow should provide just enough sink to support the curvature of your head, but not too much that you drop into the mattress. Make sure you don’t place the pillow under your shoulders, either.
- Don’t throw your old pillow away. Place it under your knees instead. This will instantly take away tension from your spine.
Don’t front sleep
We wish there was a way to optimise your sleep posture while on your stomach, but unfortunately there isn’t. We’d really, really encourage you to try switching to side sleeping as the closest alternative (unless there’s a clinical reason you sleep on your front).
Even if stomach sleeping isn’t you any issues right now, it will get you in the end. Have you ever seen anyone lying on their stomach in a hospital, unless they’re being proned?
Step 2: The surface you lie on
There are three elements to consider for the perfect sleeping surface, whether it comes to your pillow or your mattress.
- This is your body’s sense of where it is in space. If what you’re lying on is stable, your muscles can relax and heal. If the surface is unstable (which normally means soft/comfy), your muscles have to remain active to accommodate the continuous movement.Think of sleeping on a hammock in the wind that’s swaying you. You’re unlikely to achieve quality sleep – because your body will be constantly moving.
- Postural management. Your spine has three natural curves – at your neck, mid back, and lower back. Correct posture should support these curves, but not increase them. Imagine bringing the bed to you, rather than gravity bringing you to the bed. This can only be achieved by combining the correct sleeping position with an appropriate sleeping surface.
- Pressure relief. Of course, your mattress needs to be ‘comfortable’ – no one can sleep on a bed of rock. Soft enough that it’s comfy, without negating the importance of your posture and need for proprioceptive feedback (think waterbed).
So, what should you do next?
Rather than worry about how many hours you’re getting, focus on the variables that you can affect. We spend on average seven years of our life trying to get to sleep. Make sure you optimise your sleeping position, try to optimise your sleep surface if you can, and you might well find your sleep quality improves.
For more information on Levitex click here