Sleep is vitally important to human health. Fully one quarter of our lives are spent sleeping. Our nightly rest helps us regenerate physically and intellectually, by giving our minds and bodies a needed break.

But did you know that certain sleep positions can help with health problems? There is in fact, a doctor-recommended sleep position for each of these health problems, listed below.

Back pain

Back pain is a leading global health challenge, with fully 80% of the world’s people suffering from it at some point in their lives.

Doctors recommend that back pain sufferers sleep on their backs, with a pillow rolled up under their knees. This sleep position promotes a healthy spine curvature, relieving pressure on the lumbar vertebrae.

Heartburn/Indigestion

The pain associated with heartburn/indigestion can be relieved by sleeping on your left side. Lying on the left keeps the point at which your esophagus meets your stomach elevated to prevent the reflux of gastric acid.

Lying on your ride side has the opposite effect, because it allows the mechanism which closes off the esophagus from the stomach to relax.

Sinusitis

Elevating your head while sleeping can prevent fluids from collecting in your sinuses, which causes difficulty breathing and interrupted sleep.

Simply placing an extra pillow under your head will promote a more restful sleep.

Headaches

Headaches are often provoked by straining the neck as you sleep. An effective strategy is preventing your body from moving into positions which exacerbate this effect.

Placing pillows around your head to prevent you from rolling over in the night and keeping you on your back will help you achieve this.

High blood pressure

While further study is needed, recent research conducted by Yasuharu Tabara of Ehime University School of Medicine in Ehime, Japan has discovered that sleeping face down can reduce blood pressure and prevent nocturnal heart attacks. Subjects in the study[1] saw an immediate drop in their blood pressure by adopting this sleeping posture.

There’s a sleeping position suited to numerous health problems. But when it comes to sleep apnea, position alone may not solve the problem, especially in those who suffer from it in its most severe form.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea causes those who struggle with it to experience breathing cessation multiple times during sleep, for periods of 10 – 30 seconds at a time. Choosing a sleep position which promotes healthier breathing is a good way to reduce sleep apnea’s impact on your health.

As you sleep, the position of your tongue can interfere with breathing, contributing to sleep apnea. Choosing a sleep position which promotes more advantageous positioning of the tongue is a positive step toward reduced your symptoms.

When the tongue is stabilized, it’s prevented from interfering with your breathing. Exploring sleeping positions which stabilize the tongue is one way to reduce the affect of sleep apnea on your overall health.

A stop snoring mouthpiece could be the answer. Watch this video to learn more about how it works.