Sleeping is one of the most important parts of healing and recuperation, and how we sleep affects how alert we are, how we recover from injury and exertion and how much we can put into the next day.
According to the Sleep Council, people between the ages of 18 and 65 years old need between seven and nine hours of sleep every day, which is used to maintain our body and help our minds recover.
However not all sleep is equal, as sleeping in certain ways can aggravate neck and back pain, as well as cause issues like sleep apnoea. It can undermine the work a sports therapist undertakes if your sleep stiffens your neck and hurts your back again.
Which Positions Are Best?
One of the unfortunate things about sleep is there isn’t really one best position for everyone; every body is different and so different sleeping positions are best for dealing with different aches.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach, as it generally causes lower back pain and because your neck is turned so you don’t sleep in your pillow, your neck will ache too.
Sleeping on your back is ideal, although if you suffer from sleep apnoea or snoring it can become more frequent. If you put a pillow under your knees it will help with your lower back and keep it straight.
Sleeping on your side can help minimise the risk of back pain, but comes at the expense of potential shoulder or neck pain. Make sure you have pillows that support your neck.