Correct sleeping position: a fundamental question for physical and mental well-being
What is the best position for sleeping? In this article we want to talk to you about the right rest during the night, a condition that is often difficult to achieve by most people. But it is also important to know how much you need to sleep, how many hours you need to feel good: you have to consider several factors that we will reveal to you in the following paragraphs. Before continuing, watch the video below and discover some useful tips!
The best choice for experts: the supine position!
When we get out of bed in the morning and put our feet on the ground, sometimes we realize that we have slept really badly: our back hurts, the neck creaks and the eyelids are swollen. Very often this effects are due to the wrong positions that we assume for comfort before falling asleep or unconsciously during sleep. First of all, the mattress, pillow and pillowcase must be suitable and of good quality. They must be suitable to support the curves of our body, namely the cervical, dorsal and lumbar. This is the first point to rest well and should not be underestimated. The position recommended by osteopathic experts and physiotherapists is the supine position. A pillow should be well placed under the neck to avoid damaging the cervical and another, to favor a real relaxation of the thigh muscles, should be well positioned under the knees. In this position, no internal organ of the body is damaged: tension in the back, neck and tendons is avoided. So it is a decidedly optimal posture, which you should get used to. But not everyone can fall asleep in this position. Some people who sleep on their backs tend to snore and this affects them. Others cannot sleep if they do not stretch on their side with one leg extended and one bent upwards, so that they can completely relax. Many, when they lie down in bed, feel all the tiredness and stress of the day and toss and turn in bed in search of a satisfying position. So they usually choose the position they find most comfortable, relaxing and comfortable. However, you can at least try not to make the habitual sleeping positions too incorrect, by gradually correcting them. Sure good quality mattresses and pillows help but you don't need a five star hotel to sleep well!
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How to correct bad habits?
With some technique and a little good will! For example, by placing a soft pillow between the legs, in addition to assuming an analgesic position for sciatica or hip pain, we can not press the thighs too much with each other. , also for the purpose of better blood circulation. The head must be in the same line as the breastbone, so the pillow under the head must be high enough. The lower back should also be supported at the waist. It would therefore take several supports, but the Well-being of our body comes first of all. And then today it is more and more fashionable to adorn the bed with soft pillows and cushions of various shapes. A position definitely to be avoided is the "belly under" position. From a psychological point of view this position often it represents a closure towards others and the surrounding environment, an attitude perhaps unconscious to demonstrate dissatisfaction and a desire to be marginalized from everything and everyone in the moment of dedicated rest I know lo to themselves. From a physical point of view, this posture leads to too much stretching of the arms or one arm at the top, bending one under the pillow, with a considerable tension in the tendons of the limbs and neck. This posture easily leads to the formation of dark circles and "bags" under the eyes due to poor lymphatic drainage and various marks on the face, which often become real wrinkles, especially if you are not young. The twisted neck towards the bent arm and the back all too arched perhaps give a sense of momentary well-being, but then they damage the cervical and lumbar and do not allow optimal breathing. Experts consider the belly-down position to be the worst. In addition to the cervical turned to one side for hours and the back in a posture of forced lordosis, the temporomandibular joint can also be affected, as the jaw is placed abnormally on the pillow and the face suffers a lot of tension. Sleeping like this will make us wake up in the morning with our arms all numb, sometimes aching and with hardened and sore back muscles. This posture can only be afforded by children or pre-adolescents, when the body is perfectly elastic in its movements and has no initial ailment. Even ailments such as labyrinthitis and gastritis can result from an incorrect position taken in sleep involuntarily, especially if it is maintained for many hours. In addition, we try to fall asleep in a good environmental situation, lights off or, if you really feel the need, a light that can be adjusted with a potentiometer, which can be closed almost completely when sleep is about to arrive, and a room temperature that is not too high. .
We often talk about the shape of the bed and the pillows for a better rest, but we must recognize that very often the chosen position is really the fundamental element. However, the quality of the pillow cases is also very important, they must not be made of synthetic fabric. not too rough. The best are those in pure mulberry silk, which do not damage the skin of the face, leave no marks or roughness and are soft and comfortable for the hair and head. However, even with the greatest possible respect for the love habits of everyone, it is important to gradually get used to a posture that does not damage the body too much. Compared to that on the stomach it is definitely preferable, according to the opinion of the experts, the fetal position, even if it is advisable to change the side up which rests all the weight of the body so as not to press too much on the same internal organs. So it is good to get used to changing the support flank. Very important is the position of the neck on the pillow, so that the spine does not align incorrectly. The mattress must also be fit for purpose. Its quality, its thickness, its coverage are essential. An old mattress, with imperfect springs, or too soft or excessively rigid undoubtedly leads to a bad rest and often facilitates the choice of unnatural positions and with negative effects on our body. Pure latex mattresses do their job well, as long as they are really of excellent quality. The choice must be accurate and made at trusted companies or retailers, checking the fabric, the latex, the instructions for washing the cover and the warranty. You cannot save on the mattress: it must be of quality and last a long time, because a good rest allows you to face the day in an energetic and peaceful way. And this is essential for physical and mental health.
A few more tips for your well-being.
Even when you are sitting, try not to assume incorrect positions that you will then be led to resume during sleep. If you have a cervical problem, try to keep the neck slightly tilted backwards from sessions. If you have shoulder pain, rest your elbows to straighten and lift them.
If you sleep on your back on your stomach, place one pillow under your neck and another under your knees. If you are used to sleeping lying on your side, don't forget to rest your bent leg on a soft cushion.
Now enough advice. Good night and sweet dreams!
