Neck Pain – Sleeping Face Down

Do you sleep face down?

Have you wondered what the best sleeping position is?

Prone sleeping, or sleeping face down, according to research is the worst way to sleep. This is because the sleeping position causes stress on the neck as the bed pushes the neck backwards in an awkward position. Most will add a pillow underneath which increases the stress and often times individuals will have their hands underneath the pillow and then turn their head to face left or right. My opinion is to try and change these “comfort” positions to at least a side sleeping posture. Often times, we use a body pillow to accomplish this. Today I borrowed my wife’s stuffed caterpillar to help with this video. Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions:

What is a good/proper sleep posture?

Research shows that back sleeping is the best sleep posture because it is the most neutral position for your neck. Often times the problem comes with having too high of a pillow that pushes the head forward and leads to more stress on the neck.

How sleep affects posture?

Considering we sleep 6-8 hours on average, if our neck is in a non-neutral position, it can be like holding your neck in that awkward position which can lead to postural changes. Similar to a poor desk posture, poor sleeping postures can also impact you negatively.