Every week we get questions about what type of mattress to buy, pillow to use, and sleeping position. While sleep is objectively important to overall health, the mixed information can leave patients with soreness, insomnia, and stiffness every morning. But to sleep like a baby you need to literally sleep like a baby.
If you have kids, you’ll know that as soon as they can roll on their own they will almost always instinctively roll on their stomachs when you lay them down each night. Despite what many have been told over the years, you should follow the baby’s lead because stomach sleeping is the best position.
Stomach sleeping (or prone) keeps your spine neutral or in slight extension, depending on the softness of the mattress. This is beneficial as the spine is designed to be straight, rather than continually flexed; the position we tend to find ourselves in throughout most of our day. This not only reduces stress on the discs of the spine but also maximizes the thoracic cavity for better breathing. Prone sleeping also forces the diaphragm to work harder to breathe the same volume. While this may seem negative, a strong diaphragm is crucial for maintaining lung volume while asleep and during the day. Finally, this position will have sleepers turning their heads back and forth throughout the night. This works the muscles and joints in the neck to maintain the cervical curve (and is how babies initially develop a curve as they build neck/back strength to prepare for crawling).
If you absolutely cannot tolerate stomach sleeping, side lying will be the next best option. While everyone’s build will vary slightly, a general rule for side-lying sleep is to ensure the base of the head to the hips remain straight and parallel to the floor. (Women tend to have wider hips so a small pillow between the knees may also be beneficial). As long as your spine is maintaining its’ normal curve the mattress & pillow firmness or brand is entirely subjective.
