We all know we need a good night’s sleep in order to stay healthy. Getting eight hours is good, but the position you sleep in can also have an effect on the health of your back. At West Omaha Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, serving Omaha, NE, we want to help educate our clients about ways they can improve their back health. Our goal is to help you live a healthy, pain-free life.

Importance of Sleeping Position

You may think that sleep is sleep, but the truth is the way you sleep can affect your health, cause back pain, and also affect the quality of sleep you get. It is possible to sleep but not get the rest you need simply because of your sleeping position. While you are sleeping, your back will be subjected to the same positioning for several hours. If that positioning is not ideal, it can cause strain and stress for your back.

Sleeping on Your Back 

Spine experts agree that sleeping on your back is the best position for a healthy back. When you sleep on your back, pressure is evenly distributed throughout your spine. This helps to avoid any undue pressure on one particular area. To improve upon this position even more, add a small cylindrical pillow under your neck to bring the entire spine into alignment.

Sleeping on Your Side

If you are not keen on back sleeping, sleeping on your side is also healthy for the back. To bring your spine into better alignment, add a pillow between your knees. This is also a good sleeping position for people who deal with snoring.

Positions to Avoid

Sleeping in the fetal position should be avoided, as this does not provide much stability or alignment for the spine. If you are prone to sleeping this way, try to switch to side sleeping with your legs stretched out.

Another position to be avoided is sleeping on your stomach. This position provides practically no support for the spine and requires you to twist your neck to the side. However, stomach sleeping is recommended for certain individuals with breathing disorders or lung problems.

Visit Our Chiropractor in Omaha, NE for Back Pain Relief

If you develop back pain from your sleeping positions, we can help. At West Omaha Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, our chiropractor provides natural treatment methods for back pain. We will also guide you on better sleeping positions to avoid recurring pain. Call us today to schedule an appointment.