When you feel sleepy, you only think of sleep Away from any other complications, such as having a correct posture, some of us sleep on the left or right side, and others prefer to sleep on the back.
But are we doing it right? What does research and science say about the sleeping position, and is there really a correct way?
Is there a correct sleeping position?
Most people prefer sleeping on their side, because those who lie on their back are more likely to sleep poorly or have breathing difficulties at night, Science Alert reports.
In most cases, we tend to move around a lot during the night. One study of 664 sleepers found that participants spent about 54 percent of their time in bed sleeping on their side, about 37 percent on their back, and about 7 percent on the forehead.
It also showed that males (particularly those under the age of 35) tended to feel restless, with more changes in sleeping position, arm, thigh and upper back movements during the night.
While that might not be a bad thing, allowing your body to move during the night is generally a good idea, according to senior Stanford University sleep researcher William Dement.
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While you sleep, your body will track any pain or discomfort and adjust accordingly, which usually avoids bed sores (or pressure sores) in daily life.
If you find that you cannot move because the bed space is not very large, for example, consider switching sides when sleeping, sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right, or getting a bigger bed.
No perfect situation
The report emphasized that there is no good research that provides clear evidence of “optimal sleep position”, as your age, weight, environment, activities and whether you are pregnant play a role in the best sleep position for your body.
Ideally, we can find a position that helps us get a good night’s sleep, and avoid waking up in pain.
However, although some forms of side sleeping may put a bit of a load on the spine, lateral positions, in general, appear to be still better than the other options.