Everyone has their favorite. The most common is the pose on one side. Some prefer to sleep on their backs and others on their stomachs. What happens when you mostly sleep on your stomach? Is this harmful to he alth and can it cause any discomfort?
Sleeping on your stomach may provide nice comfort for a while, but over time it causes stiffness, pain in the chest, shoulders, back, waist, neck. This is because the weight of the body is pulled down on the lower back, causing tension in the alignment of the spine's vertebrae, according to he althline.com. The spine is the vertical center of the nervous system. All the nerves from the brain to the rest of the body and limbs pass through it.
This is why pain occurs when the spine is incorrectly positioned and its natural line is distorted.
People who prefer to sleep on their stomachs may also have breathing difficulties. This is due to the compression of the lung, which is exerted due to the weight of the body. It takes more effort on the part of the lungs to fill them with oxygen and supply the necessary energy to the body.
Sleeping on your stomach has its advantages. It can reduce snoring and relieve sleep apnea. But the results are controversial and can be risky, according to Amersleep, cited by he althdigest.com. Pain in the neck, neck, and back may reappear throughout its surface because of the distortion this pose implies.
If you can't break your stomach sleeping habit and it's still one of your favorite positions, try adding a pillow under your stomach. It will give the necessary support to the waist and spine, thus reducing pain and shifting the center of gravity. The pillow will also protect your neck from unnatural curvature.
Sleeping on your back has benefits for the cardiovascular system and improving and normalizing the heart rate. Don't forget it. It's best to change positions throughout the night so you don't get stiff or put extra strain on certain areas of the body.
