An expert has shared the best sleeping positions to stop discomfort and improve your overall health. Philip L. Pirtle, a pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist at Houston Methodist, highlights that your sleeping position can influence various health aspects, including “sleep disordered breathing, gastroesophageal reflux, musculoskeletal pain, neurological health, and even cosmetic wrinkles of facial skin.”
He elaborated: “Sleeping on your stomach, on your side, or fully supine [on your back] has different effects on each of these conditions.” Dr Pirtle points out that individuals who sleep on their sides tend to have fewer bodily health issues compared to those who rest on their stomachs or backs.
He further explained: “There is reasonably good evidence that sleeping on the side or with the head slightly elevated is associated with a lower incidence of neurodegenerative disease than sleeping fully supine. This does not mean that sleeping supine causes dementia, but there is an association.”
Dr Pirtle also shared insights into the drawbacks of other sleeping positions, noting that back sleepers might suffer from gastroesophageal reflux. Nevertheless, he acknowledges lying on your back is the best position for preventing wrinkles.
A statement on Houston Methodist reads: “Stomach sleeping may help people keep their airway open, which may help decrease snoring and mild breathing issues while sleeping. That said, stomach sleeping might be the worst position for the spine. While on the stomach, someone would have to turn their head to one side to breathe easily. This can put stress on the neck and flattens the natural S-shaped curve of our spine while we sleep. This can make the position the worst for those with neck and back pain.”
However, Dr Pirtle cautions against changing your sleeping style if you’re not experiencing any adverse effects, as it could potentially cause more harm than good. He further added: “While sleep position can have an impact on several aspects of health, maintaining a restful, organised sleep schedule is likely the most important in terms of overall health benefits. If your sleep is restful, and you have no overt symptoms such as sleep disordered breathing or gastroesophageal reflux, then changing your sleep position is not necessarily beneficial, especially if it disrupts your established sleep pattern.”
Discussing their own experiences, TikTok users chimed in with comments under the GP’s video. One user exclaimed: “I can’t sleep on my back. I get terrible snoring, very loud.” Another added their perspective, saying: “Acid reflux prevents me from sleeping on my back. I choked on that stuff while sleeping a few years ago and thought I was gonna die.”
A third person mentioned their particular issue, stating: “I have acid reflux, and if I sleep on my left side it sets it off.” Meanwhile, another user contradicted common advice about sleeping positions, sharing: “Sleeping on my back doesn’t improve back pain. makes mine worse.”
If poor sleep is affecting your daily life or causing you distress, call NHS 111 or speak to your GP.