In the long journey of life, sleep occupies about one-third of the time. It is like a compulsory course every day, silently nourishing our body and mind, providing us with necessary recovery and rest. In this process, choosing a suitable sleeping position is like finding the most elegant dance steps for this dance of life, helping us relax better and rest more deeply.

However, many seemingly comfortable sleeping positions in life may silently erode our spinal health. If your spine silently endures pressure and torment in your sleep, then you must be vigilant! These seemingly harmless sleeping positions may quietly damage your cervical spine and even trigger a series of health problems. Let's take a look together and see if you have also unintentionally become a victim of these 'sleeping position killers'.

Sleeping in this position for a long time can be very harmful to the body

1- Surrender sleeping position

Surrender sleeping position "refers to the position where one raises their hand above their head while sleeping.

Maintaining a posture for a long time, especially those that can easily cause poor blood circulation in the upper limbs, may lead to numbness in the upper limbs, and in severe cases, may even cause peripheral nerve ischemia and hypoxia, leading to diseases such as peripheral neuropathy. In addition, continuous stretching and stimulation of upper limb muscles can cause inflammation of the bursa around the shoulder joint. If exposed to the outside and caught a cold again, shoulder periarthritis will quietly come knocking on the door. This sleeping position may also be a signal of cervical spine problems. Due to excessive tension in the soft tissues of the neck and shoulders, these people have to raise their hands to alleviate muscle tension and slow blood circulation, which can cause difficulty falling asleep. This not only affects sleep quality, but may also exacerbate cervical problems, leading to a series of health issues.

How to self-test cervical spondylosis

You can take out a piece of paper and place it behind your chin. Try to lower your head and clamp the paper, being careful not to shrug or open your mouth during the entire process. Just lower your head and bend your cervical spine.

If the paper can be firmly clamped, it indicates a low risk of cervical spondylosis. If the paper cannot be clamped, it indicates a potential risk of cervical spondylosis.

2- Sleep on your stomach

Have you ever tried sleeping on your stomach? Although this position may make you feel comfortable for a while, in the long run, it may cause significant damage to your body. Firstly, sleeping on your stomach can cause your lumbar spine to protrude forward, causing the curvature of the spine to bend. This can put excessive pressure on the muscles in your back, and over time, back pain may become a daily routine. Moreover, when sleeping on your stomach, in order to maintain smooth breathing, you often need to tilt your head to one side. As a result, the cervical and lumbar vertebrae have to be in a twisted state for a long time to fit your head. This twisted state may lead to spinal hyperplasia and degeneration over time, posing greater risks to your physical health. In addition, sleeping on your stomach may also compress your chest and abdomen, affecting the blood circulation of the heart and the respiratory function of the lungs. Even worse, if this posture compresses your reproductive system, it may also cause problems with your urinary system. In order to protect our physical health, we should try to avoid sleeping on our stomach for a long time and choose healthier sleeping positions, such as lying on our side or supine. "

3- Curl up and sleep

This position, known as the 'fetal sleeping position', is a warm sleeping position that involves bending the body and tightly pressing the knees against the chest. Many people feel that this posture is like returning to their mother's embrace, giving a feeling of both tightness and comfort. However, behind this seemingly comfortable sleeping position lies a hidden medical hazard. When we fall asleep in this position, with our body bent and our knees pressed against our chest, our spine is under tremendous pressure. This pressure can cause an increase in the curvature of the spine, thereby increasing the burden on the lumbar spine. If this posture is maintained for a long time, it may cause degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, such as lumbar disc herniation, intervertebral arthritis, and other problems. In addition, this sleeping position may also affect our breathing and blood circulation. Due to posture limitations, the space for movement in the chest and abdomen is restricted, which may result in difficulty breathing. At the same time, abdominal blood vessels may also be compressed, affecting the normal flow of blood and thus having a certain impact on physical health. Therefore, although the 'fetal sleeping position' may bring temporary comfort, considering the potential impact on the spine, breathing, and blood circulation, we should try to avoid maintaining this position for a long time to ensure our physical health.

2 Recommended Sleeping Positions, Don't Sleep Wrong Again

These two sleeping positions are suitable for most people

①Sleeping on my back

When sleeping on our back, the contact area between our body and the bed is the largest, the human body is the most relaxed, and it does not compress our internal organs. The blood circulation throughout the body, including the brain, is relatively good.

【Tips 】

When sleeping supine, the arms should be placed on both sides of the body, preferably with a thin pillow placed under the knees, so that the legs are in line with the lower back spine, which can provide more support for the back.

②Right recumbent

The human heart is located in the lower left middle of the chest cavity, and sleeping on the right side puts less load on the human heart.

The openings from the stomach to the duodenum and from the small intestine to the large intestine both open to the right. Sleeping on the right side is beneficial for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and digestion

The liver is located in the upper right abdomen, and when lying on the right side, its position is low, which is beneficial for the blood perfusion of the liver and the metabolism of nutrients in the body

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【 Tip 】

When sleeping on your side, it is best to bend your legs slightly and place a pillow between your knees to avoid pressure on your spine caused by pelvic torsion. At the same time, it is best to bend the hips and knees by about 130 degrees, so that the spine is on the same horizontal line and the muscles can be fully relaxed.

2. Special groups have their own preferences, and attention should be paid to differences due to illness

Due to the fact that the average person flips around 20 times per night, for healthy individuals, as long as they are not in an unhealthy sleeping position for a long time, there is generally no problem.

But for patients with these special diseases, they should pay more attention to choosing the appropriate sleeping position according to their own situation to avoid worsening the condition.

①The following group of people are recommended to sleep on the right side

·Chronic heart failure patients

When lying on the left side, the heart is in a relatively low position, and more blood will return to the heart due to gravity, which increases the burden on the heart and may even trigger acute heart failure in severe cases.

·Patients with gastritis and indigestion

The human stomach is located above the entire abdomen and is positioned to the left. Therefore, it is recommended that those with inflammation in the stomach and low digestive function sleep in a right lateral position, which is more conducive to the digestion and absorption of food in the stomach.

② The following group of people are recommended to sleep on the left side

·Pregnant women in the middle and late stages

When lying supine, a heavy uterus can easily compress blood vessels, while lying on the right side may cause the uterus, which has already rotated to the right, to become even more right-handed, compressing the right ureter, leading to ureteral dilation and even hydronephrosis.

Lying on the left side of a pregnant woman can cause the right-handed uterus to shift to a straight position, which can reduce fetal position and delivery abnormalities caused by this.

·Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

For patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, when sleeping in a right lateral position, the position of the esophagus is lower than that of the stomach, making it easier for stomach acid to reflux;

Moreover, the elasticity of the esophageal sphincter muscle will weaken, reducing its constraint on gastric acid, exacerbating acid reflux, and even causing coughing and suffocation in patients. Therefore, it is recommended that these patients adopt a left lateral sleeping position, which can help prevent acid reflux.

③The following groups are recommended to sleep flat

·Patients with cerebral thrombosis

Lying supine helps ensure that the patient's carotid artery is not compressed, providing sufficient blood supply to the brain and facilitating the recovery of the condition.

·Joint injury patients

From the perspective of joint health, it is recommended to sleep in a supine position. This is because when lying on the back, the area of force on the body is the largest, which makes it less likely to compress the local area and avoid aggravating joint damage.

·Patients with lumbar disc herniation

Lying on the side may exacerbate vertebral artery spasm in patients and even affect blood supply to the brain. The supine position is relatively more helpful in relieving discomfort in the waist.

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