4 Sleeping positions that could be wrecking your posture

Fun fact: You’ll be asleep for roughly one third of your life. And while it’s true you shift and move as you’re snoozing in bed, experts consider sleep positions to be “static,” which means they’re positions you hold during long bouts of inactivity. In other words, even though you’re passed out, those positions aren’t passive. They have a big impact on your muscles, joints, and even your overall health.

Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t one “best” sleep position, says Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, spinal and orthopedic surgeon and founder of NYNJ Spine. This is especially great news if sleep is elusive for you most nights and the thought of adding another potential obstacle into the mix fills you with dread.

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“There are some positions that allow the body to be in a more neutral alignment and some positions that can put undue stresses on parts of the body,” says Okubadejo. If hard pressed, he says he’d rank side sleeping in first place, with back sleeping at second, and stomach sleeping last. Ultimately, though, he encourages spine alignment.

You just have to accommodate for your preferred position in order to not put too much strain on any of those parts,” he says.

Your spine has a natural curve at the upper back (kyphosis) and the lower back (lordosis), and the goal is keeping that gentle “S” in balance during your z’s. It’s when it curves too much or too little that your back will complain.

“Once that balance is thrown off, there’s a higher propensity to have pain,” says Okubadejo. That means whether you’re curled up into the fetal position or spread out like a starfish at bedtime, you should make sure your spine has the right support so it can rest as neutrally as possible.

Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, MD, sleep specialist and spokesperson for the American Association of Sleep Medicine, says you’ll have telltale signs from your body when you’re not positioned well during sleep, like pain, numbness, or tingling. But if you wake up feeling refreshed and don’t deal with health issues like sleep apnea (which can be triggered by lying on your back at night), your best bet is to stick with what’s most comfortable for you.

“Sleep needs to be a cozy, wonderful, welcoming situation, not something that you’re fighting against,” she says. “If you try to sleep in a position that you’re not comfortable in, you’re going to think about it. And the more you think about the fact that you’re not sleeping, the worse your sleep gets.”

Here’s how to take the stress out of sleeping—and your spine—by optimizing your preferred snooze setting.

1. Stomach sleepers: Pop a pillow under your belly.

When you lie on your stomach, your lower back often dips into an exaggerated arch, while your neck twists to one side so you can breathe. Over time, that combination can create tension, stiffness, and even chronic pain.

“Stomach sleeping is known to be one of the worst positions because it can put undue stress on the back,” Okubadejo says. “But I’d be a hypocrite if I said never to sleep on your stomach, because that’s my preferred position.”

Support it: Use a low, firm pillow (or none at all) to avoid straining your neck, and consider placing support under your stomach to reduce lower back strain. Check your mattress too, says Okubadejo. “You need a mattress that’s a little firmer, because if you sink too far, you’re causing hyperlordosis of your lower back.”

2. Back sleepers: Focus on neck and knees.

When done right, sleeping on your back can support even weight distribution and spinal alignment. Your mattress matters. Too soft, and your head and neck will sit higher than your back. Too firm, and your lower back won’t have contact with the support it needs. Medium-firm is best, with a proper pillow to match.

Support it: Use a supportive pillow that keeps your neck aligned and try placing a pillow under your knees to take pressure off your lower back.

3. Side sleepers: Keep your hips in line.

This setup helps keep your spine in a neutral line, which reduces strain on your muscles and joints. “Side sleeping overall will put you in a neutral posture, and neutral posture is known to be the safest posture for sleeping and for having the best rest,” says Okubadejo.

But before you pat yourself on the back for a job well done as a natural side sleeper, check your legs. If you’re rocking the “provocative position” with your top leg bent and hitched up like a mountain climber, you’re throwing your hips and lower back out of alignment.

Support it: Try the fetal position instead: both legs bent, one supporting the other for keeping your hips straight and back pain at bay. Use a pillow between your knees to prevent your body from twisting forward, or a whole-body pillow to help your top shoulder from collapsing inward.

4. Upright sleeping: Hold that head up.

There’s a reason for the C-shaped neck pillow you see on planes. Nodding off at 40,000 feet is best done with a prop to keep your head from flopping to one side. Your neck (and your neighbor) will thank you.

Your spine also needs relief any time you sleep in a sitting position, so stay away from a ramrod straight position, says Okubadejo.

“Being in a slightly reclined position with a cushion around the neck is the ideal way to go about traveling,” he says. “You do not want to be at 90 degrees; you want to have some lean-back.”

Support it: Check your vanity at the cabin door and wear that neck pillow with pride.

Original article appeared on SELF