Sleeping on your stomach is one of the most common postures , especially when we want to fall asleep. However, despite being one of the most popular forms of sleep, we found a lot of information and advice against this position .
Like doing it on your back or on your side, sleeping on your stomach has certain advantages and disadvantages . It is true that postural, the optimal way to protect our back and neck is to sleep on our back, but it can also be very frustrating to force ourselves to rest in a way that is not comfortable and natural for us.
The solution? If we have discovered that sleeping on the stomach is the only way to feel comfortable, it is best to choose a suitable mattress that encourages rest in this position, as well as good pillows also designed to sleep in this way .
If you are also one of those who sleeps face down, this is your post, we will tell you what are the main disadvantages of this posture but also some benefits and we answer one of the main doubts regarding this posture , with or without a pillow?
Contents
Disadvantages of Sleeping on your stomach
Among the three most popular sleeping postures: on your back, on your side, and on your stomach, the last option is the one that experts find the most inconvenient. In fact, some of them point out it as somewhat unnatural and forced and advise correcting it little by little.
But, you don’t need to worry excessively; If you cannot avoid sleeping on your stomach with a good mattress and a good pillow, most of the harmful effects on our health can be corrected.
Although, it is always important to have this information. For this reason, we highlight the main disadvantages of sleeping face down :
Cervical problems :
The neck and cervically are the most affected when we sleep face down since this posture forces the cervically into an uncomfortable and unnatural posture. The neck and spine do not stay aligned, forcing it and being the origin of many contractures.
Forced posture for our spine :
Directly related to the previous point, by preventing the spine and neck from being aligned, tension generated by the weight of the body is created. In the long run this can harm the pressure and support areas of the body.
Breathing difficulties :
The body exerts pressure on the rib cage and, at the same time, many times the face is buried in the pillow, which forces you to overexert yourself to breathe. This inconvenience can be especially harmful for people who tend to have nightmares, suffer from anxiety or some type of respiratory problem.
Benefits of sleeping on your stomach:
Although from a postural point of view this option is not the most recommended, sleeping on your stomach also has some advantages to consider :
It is the best posture to avoid snoring :
Compared to other options, when we snore the most is when we are on our back, this posture minimizes snoring. In fact, there are people who stop snoring if they sleep on their stomachs.
Sometimes relieves arm and shoulder pain :
By resting in an elevated posture some people experience relief from choosing to sleep this way.
sleeping on your stomach with or without pillow:
One of the most frequent questions people who sleep on their stomachs ask themselves is whether or not they need a good pillow .
Each way of sleeping has its advantages and disadvantages and the best way to act to avoid any type of problem is to have the best allies for your rest. That is, choose the best mattress and the best pillows to sleep according to your posture .
When we sleep on our stomach, it is best to choose a thin option that has little firmness to force the neck as little as possible. This is why some people recommend not using a pillow at all . However, if you have tried it, you will surely have noticed that it is a bit uncomfortable .
For us, pillows are an essential element for a comfortable rest in which we can sleep comfortably and at once. Our recommendation is that you take your time when choosing until you find the perfect pillow for your posture . As we mentioned before, the best option to avoid straining the cervically if you like to sleep on your stomach is a thin pillow and not too hard . That is, we recommend looking at options that are less than 11 cm thick and are quite soft.
In this way you will avoid a too pronounced curve between your cervically and spine, you will not have a feeling of suffocation because your face sinks too much into the pillow and you will be able to enjoy the comfort and softness of resting on a piece specially designed to guarantee you a restful sleep.
