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Practice the best positions to sleep well
Practicing or taking into account good sleeping positions makes a difference. By adopting them, a favorable scenario free of muscle ailments is guaranteed the next day.
Likewise, they are simple to carry out, proving their long-term benefits. They not only influence the field of sleep, but also in the development of day to day.
Discover the best positions to sleep excellently at night
The list of the best positions is not taken from the subjective opinion of the public. On the contrary, it is concluded as a result of clinical studies carried out mainly in the United Kingdom.
The testimony of experienced physiotherapists who give their point of view on each of them is also taken into account. This gives you highly objective and supported material to put into practice quickly.
Lateral decubitus
The decubitus position refers to any individual that rests on a horizontal plane. It becomes lateral when its axis moves to the left or right side.
Experts have stated that lateral decubitus is the most suitable position to be able to sleep well. It exponentially reduces the staging of pain the next day, as well as being related to a rapid falling asleep.
In general, the adoption of this position allows a better distribution of body weight. In turn, the curvatures of the back are aligned, avoiding exerting tension on just one of them.
On the other hand, the same tension is not distributed only towards joints such as shoulders, hips or knees. On the contrary, the body results in a harmonious state during the night.
At the same time, lateral decubitus, specifically on the left side, is beneficial against certain pathologies. For example, its effectiveness was proven to deal with nocturnal discomfort caused by gastroesophageal reflux.
Supine position
The body is said to be supine when it lies on its back in a horizontal plane. It is the second and last position recommended for sleeping, but with less efficiency than the previous one.
In this opportunity, the upper curvature of the back is more pronounced, as is the lower one. The neck receives a little more tension along with the pelvis in the lower part.
However, various modalities have modified the scoop in question by raising the head of the bed. On other occasions, they add pillows so that the height (approximately 20 cm) reduces stress levels in joints and muscles.
It should be noted that it is an inadvisable posture in cases of snoring or some type of sleep apnea. Fortunately, with a suitable elevation of the head, it is excellent against and in prevention of low back pain.
How NOT to sleep? Avoid the following body positions
By themselves, the postures that are adopted when sleeping are carried out almost unconsciously. Throughout the night, the body moves from one axis to another without even warning.
Even so, it is important to practice the habit of avoiding certain positions at all costs. Otherwise, the tension can cause deviations and painful or irreversible joint damage.
The expert community believes that the use of the pillow is essential for good posture. Its placement under certain structures such as the cervical spine, pelvis, knee and ankle is essential to cushion tension.
Similarly, in the case of the neck, it should be at a distance that provides a scenario similar to standing. It means that its function is going to be to align the head and neck to a plane such that it resembles standing.
In another order of ideas, it is essential to do the cross in the prone position or face down. All body weight falls on the ribs and cervical spine. The latter adopts a state of hyperextension and rotation that is not classified as physiological.
Much less is it permissible to extend or press the upper extremities. In the worst cases, compression of nerve plexuses could lead to paralysis or other severe neurological damage.
Long-term consequences of poor sleeping positions
From a physiological perspective, body postures play a leading role that can alter sleep. And not only, but seriously influence the general health of the individual. It even puts a series of clinical manifestations of risk in different organic systems:
At the muscle level
When you sleep poorly, the first to be intrinsically affected are the muscles. The body is subjected to a certain degree of stress and, in certain positions, is prone to small muscle fiber injuries.
On the other hand, exaggerated movements such as hyperflexion or hyperextension put stress on the tendons. Over time, acute episodes of tendinitis will prevent you from effectively falling asleep at night.
In the skeletal sphere
Poor sleep is the main enemy of the spine in the first instance. It is the trigger of the accentuation of the vertebral curvatures towards unwanted angles or stages.
Deviations at the level of the vertebral joints produce the much-feared herniated discs. In other latitudes, the appearance of chronic pain such as low back pain, neck pain and more, are complications that will have to be dealt with.
The gastrointestinal tract is also affected
Some unorthodox positions where you lie on your stomach are harmful. The pressure experienced contributes to nausea, vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux.
In the long term, they will become recurrent clinical manifestations that will alter the dynamics of the gastrointestinal system. They will go on to trigger other pathologies related not only to the aforementioned, but also to poor digestion, acidity and a long etcetera.
Respiratory tract
The respiratory system is another of the great participants in this circus of medical mishaps. In the previous paragraph, the duality that existed between a bad sleep and the stomach was explained. The latter is not the only one that is pressured, but another key structure such as the diaphragm.
It is well known that the oscillatory processes of relaxation of this organ are crucial for breathing. Therefore, these unwanted habits alter respiratory mechanics.
In addition to this, people who suffer from snoring or a variety of apnea must take care of their posture exhaustively. Otherwise, the position of the tongue or the nostrils could definitively obstruct the upper airways.
Neurological field
Although it doesn't look like it, the neurological deficit is plausible when you don't sleep well. When there are significant deviations in the spine or compressions as in hernias, several nerves are affected.
Over time, pain sensitivity skyrockets to thresholds that are unbearable, requiring drastic therapies or operations. In occurrence, partial or total paralysis is the most serious horizon to witness.
Without fear of error, the complexities at the neural level are the most difficult and limiting. For this reason, taking care of your health when sleeping is essential and non-negotiable to prevent such an ordeal. If the trend continues, it is very likely that, in the long term, it will end up in the statistics.
