Correct sleeping posture

Is your bed a pain in the butt?

Written by Dr. David Howard – B.Sc. (Clinical Sci.), M.H.Sc. (Osteopathy), B.App.Sc (Human Movement) from Pascoe Vale Osteopathy located in Pascoe Vale, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

As most people spend about the same time sleeping as they do sitting at a desk, your sleeping posture is just as important  as your sitting posture. Research has indicated that 41% of people sleep in the foetal position. This posture, however, isn’t optimal in maintaining correct spinal alignment.

The best spinal alignment when sleeping is the same as when sitting, but obviously lying down – click onto this previous article for more detail. The triple C-curve of your spine is maintained and there is no excess pressure on any part of the spine. I know bad habits are hard to change but try going to sleep correctly and hopefully your sleeping body eventually gets the picture. We will start from the top…

*Neck straight with your chin away from your chest
*Good supportive pillow filling the gap between your head and shoulders – click onto this previous article for more detail
*Arms in front of you or hugging a pillow
*Maintain the curve in your low back or lumbar spine by having your knees below the level of your hips
*Both knees should be together so that the back is nice and straight. (Many people, especially women with larger hips will find this uncomfortable or impossible. Placing a pillow between your knees will remedy this).

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How to choose a great pillow

Is your pillow ‘painful’ or ‘perfect’?

Written by Dr. David Howard – B.Sc. (Clinical Sci.), M.H.Sc. (Osteopathy), B.App.Sc (Human Movement) from Pascoe Vale Osteopathy located in Pascoe Vale, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Most of us, hopefully, spend at least 8 hours a night with our head on a pillow. This can become a big problem if your pillow is not woman-with-pillowsupporting your neck correctly.

The spine in your neck curves in order to evenly distribute the weight of your head when upright. Whatever position you prefer to sleep in, it is important to keep your spine as close as possible to its correct alignment – which is how it is when upright. This means that the natural curve is maintained and the shoulders aren’t squashed.

Symptoms of a bad pillow

If your neck is not supported correctly when sleeping, an array of symptoms can develop such as:

Neck pain
Headaches
Migraines
Shoulder pain
Numbness and tingling in the hands (due to the nerves and blood vessels being squashed)
Upper back pain
Lower back pain
Neck stiffness in the morning
Restlessness/tossing/turning at night (which will negatively affect your immune system) 

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