Sleeping at night should be comfortable and relaxing. There are three known positions when we sleep, these are: back sleeping, side sleeping or stomach sleeping. But with these three positions, side sleeping is the most popular and has several variations.
You can either side sleep with your back straight or in a curve which is called the fetal position. With these variations, there’s only one problem that you can get and that is improper alignment of your neck to your spine.
Side sleeping effects
When you sleep at your stomach or back, the neck of your alignment will be in its natural position. But if you prefer sleeping in one side of your body, then your neck has a high chance of getting stiff. That’s because there’s a gap between your head and your mattress.
Using a pillow that does not support well your head can cause more pains, this includes:
• Stiffness in the neck
• Sore muscles in your girdle and back
And that’s not all, if your neck is not properly aligned, there’s a big chance that your spine will be affected. Being our body’s nerve center, it can cause your spinal column to pinch or even compress causing pain, numbness and discomfort.
This numbness is more common in our arms and hands, but it can also occur as far away as our legs and even feet. In worse conditions, lower back pain is felt because of the position of your neck.
Keeping Your Neck Relaxed and Safe
Choosing the right and comfortable mattress and pillow is both very important when it comes to relaxing your body and neck. This is more important if you’re an avid side sleeper because the right mattress and pillow will support your spine, shoulders and head. While a good pillow will support the weight of your head and will take away the strain in your neck.
If you want something luxurious and can still give you the comfort that you need, then you can choose between a water pillow, gel and even a memory foam pillow. These pillows are specifically manufactured to make people feel comfortable whether you’re skinny or fat.
Choosing the Right Pillow for a Side Sleeper
If you’re considering buying a pillow, then you should first think about the position of your sleep. If you’re a person who doesn’t like to roll out of your original sleeping position and would like to have a support in your stomach and back section, then you should choose a pillow that’s extra-large in size to wrap it around your body.
The inner makeup of the pillow is also important so that it can mold and bend depending on your need. If you constantly want to move and wrap your pillow into different shapes, then shredded memory foam is the best choice for you.
Solid foam is also a good choice, but it’s not like the previous foam that can be bended and molded. This is also true when it comes to water-base and gel-base pillows. The shredded memory foam is also a great choice if you like to sleep in one spot of your bed.
But if you’re a person who prefers to sleep with an arm under your pillow, then a side sleeper pillow supporter will be the best choice because it can adjust to whatever height you’re comfortable with.