CHRIS TEMPEST
Osteopathic Consultant
Chris is a professional osteopath who qualified from the European School of Osteopathy with an Integrated Masters of Osteopathy (D.O. M.Ost.), so what he doesn’t know about your body isn’t worth knowing. Learn more about our team.
A good night’s sleep is vital to your overall health, and having sufficient sleep gives your brain time to rest, so you wake up feeling refreshed. As a result, it is essential to ensure that your sleeping position is comfortable and your body has the support it needs as you sleep. For front sleepers, also known as stomach sleepers, selecting a proper mattress and bed that helps with pressure relief is crucial in sleeping well.
For those who sleep on their stomach, an adjustable bed can be a good idea as it helps them align their spine well and relieve pressure from painful pressure points. However, do you know the advantages of sleeping on your stomach? How do adjustable bases help stomach sleepers? Why should you avoid lying on your stomach on a flat sleeping surface? Read on to find out!
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Table of Contents
Advantages of Sleeping On Your Stomach
There are three main sleeping positions: back sleeping and side sleeping are the most common. However, a small number of people believe that stomach sleeping is a relaxed position and the only sleeping position they can fall asleep in. Here is why sleeping on your stomach isn’t such a bad thing:
Acid Reflux And Heartburn
Although most people assume that sleeping on your side is the best sleeping position, it is the position that increases heartburn. The good news for stomach sleepers is that sleeping on your stomach helps with acid reflux and reduces heartburn.
Tossing And Turning
It is very easy to toss and turn when you are sleeping on your side or back, thus disturbing your sleep, and so you may wake up feeling tired. Sleeping on your stomach makes it harder for you to toss and turn; therefore, you will enjoy quality sleep.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that’s characterized by breathing, stopping, and starting repeatedly. Waking up tired is a symptom of sleep apnea, and obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. Lying on your back may lead to sleep apnea and snoring. However, sleeping on your stomach decreases the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Degenerative Discs Disease
If you suffer from degenerative discs disease, lying on your stomach is a good sleeping position because it relieves stress on the spaces between the discs. That way, you will be able to sleep more comfortably.
How Adjustable Beds Can Help Stomach Sleepers
An adjustable bed allows you to raise your head slightly so that you relieve the pressure on your neck and shoulders. This is an excellent way to sleep comfortably and avoid waking up tired, sore, and with shoulder and neck pain.
Various adjustable bed positions can help front sleepers sleep well and avoid the health risks associated with sleeping on your stomach. You can elevate your feet so that your hips are a little high if your mattress is soft.
Additionally, you should ensure that you buy mattresses for adjustable beds suitable for stomach sleepers. The mattress should not be too soft because soft mattresses may sink in the middle due to your body weight, and thus they will not offer support for your hips.
Here are factors that you should consider if you are a front sleeper:
- Mattress firmness: a mattress that’s too soft does not offer your body the support it needs for quality sleep. Memory foam and latex foam mattresses are good choices because they are strong and responsive to movements.
- It would be best if you kept your legs together to avoid twisting your spine.
- You should align your body before falling asleep and ensure your back is not curved; keep your legs together and arms straight down to prevent night time tossing.
Is Sleeping On Your Stomach Bad For You?
Here is why you should consider changing your sleeping position if you sleep on your stomach.
- It may strain your spine if the mattress is too soft
- May lead to back and neck pain
- May lead to face wrinkles
Conclusion
For years sleep coaches and certified medical professionals have been discouraging people from sleeping on their stomachs. Instead, they encourage them to choose either back or side sleeping. However, switching your sleeping habits is easier said than done, and trying to change from sleeping on your stomach may prove impossible.
The best thing to do is learn how to sleep more comfortably and safely on your stomach. Buying an adjustable bed frame is one way of avoiding the side effects associated with sleeping on your stomach. It will also give you the chance to work out if side sleeping in an
adjustable bed is a more comfortable option.
Adjustable beds give you room to adjust your bed surface so that it can suit your sleeping style. You can raise the head of the bed or your feet to improve blood circulation. You can also use the optional message option and be soothed to sleep. So do not listen to health misinformation about adjustable beds; instead, read medical-related articles for accurate information.
