This 1 Sleep Position Could Be Causing You Headaches When You Wake Up

How you sleep can have a very big impact on how you feel when you wake up – and if you’re waking up with headaches or shoulder pain regularly, you might want to tweak your nightly position. Yoshi Kurihara, founder of UK premier quality bunks Cosybunks, said some of our favourite sleeping positions may be putting unnecessary pressure on the spine, but small adjustments can make a huge difference.”We tend to underestimate how much time we spend sleeping. If you’re in a poor position for seven or eight hours a night, that’s a third of your day spent putting pressure on the same joints, discs and muscles,” said Kurihara.“Over time, that can take a real toll.”The expert explained that people typically fall into four broad sleep types: back sleepers, side sleepers (either right or left), and stomach sleepers.And while each has its pros and cons, some put your body under more stress than others.“The most important thing, whatever position you choose, is keeping your body in what we call a ‘midline position’,” Kurihara said.“That means your head, neck and spine should be aligned as naturally as possible. If your head is tilted or twisted, it can cause strain and stiffness that you’ll definitely feel in the morning.”The worst sleep position for your neckStomach sleeping (or lying on your front) is the position he usually advises against.“It’s the most problematic for spinal alignment,” he said. “When you lie face-down, you often have to twist your neck sharply to one side to breathe. That rotation creates an imbalance and compresses one side of the neck more than the other.“Over time, that can cause chronic tension or even lead to headaches and shoulder pain.”If you do naturally end up sleeping on your front, he advises modifying your position a little bit by placing a small pillow under your pelvis to help keep your spine neutral.“That reduces the arch in your lower back and makes the position less stressful,” he added.Back sleepers aren’t in the clear eitherWhile back sleeping can support good spinal posture, “you need to pay attention to your leg and head placement”, Kurihara continued.“When your legs are stretched out completely straight, your lower back naturally arches. That can exaggerate the lumbar curve and lead to soreness.”To remedy this, try placing a small pillow or rolled-up towel under your knees “to flatten that curve and make your spine feel supported”, he added.Equally, your pillow should fill the gap between your neck and your mattress, not push your head forward, the expert said. “Too high and your neck bends forward; too low and your head falls back, creating tension.”Waking up with hip pain? Try thisSide-sleeping is one of the most common positions and generally considered the best for your spine.According to The Sleep Foundation, sleeping on your side promotes healthy spinal alignment and is the position least likely to result in back pain, especially when supported with pillows.It can also reduce heartburn, snoring, and help pregnant people to sleep more comfortably.“But the trick is to do it correctly,” said Kurihara. “Without the right pillow or knee support, your hips and shoulders can become misaligned.”He recommends hugging a pillow between your knees to stop your upper leg from rotating and pulling your spine out of line.“That’s particularly helpful for people who wake up with hip or lower back pain,” he added.As for which side is better, the sleep expert pointed to the left.“Sleeping on your left side can be beneficial for circulation and digestion because of how our organs are positioned,” he said. “It allows blood to flow more freely and can even help reduce acid reflux for some people.”Well, now you know!Related...5 Steps A Sleep Expert Takes To Wake Up Feeling Refreshed6 Ways To Sleep Better With SAD (According To A GP)The Sleep Change You Should Never Ignore In Menopause

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