Best and WORST Sleeping Positions

If you were asked your favorite sleep position, you’d probably be able to answer pretty quickly.

But it can be a little trickier to figure out the best sleeping position — one that helps you reduce your aches and pains and maximize the enormous health benefits that research has shown a good night’s sleep can provide.

Here are the positions that the experts recommend, whether you’re pregnant, prone to snoring, dealing with back or neck pain, or have other conditions that can benefit from the right position while you rest.

Plus, experts offer tips on making the most of your current favorite position and “training” yourself to sleep in different ones that might be better for you.

What are the best sleeping positions?

“The best sleep position is the one you are most comfortable with,” according to Dr. Harly Greenberg, medical director at Northwell Sleep Disorders Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“However, there may be better sleep positions for persons with specific health or orthopedic issues,” he adds.

So, what is the best position to sleep in for your particular needs? To help you pick your position, the Sleep Foundation offers some suggestions about sleeping on your back, stomach and side.

Sleeping on your back

Advantages:

Reduces aches and pains in the lower back and neck
Supports your spine so your muscles can relax and recover
Helps relieve congestion, especially if you elevate your torso
Helps reduce the risk of developing facial wrinkles

Disadvantages:

Increases the risk of airway collapse for those who snore or have sleep apnea
Raises pressure levels for certain types of back pain
Increases episodes of acid reflux
Raises gravity pressure to make it more difficult to breathe, making it unsuitable for older or heavier people
Causes a fetus to put more pressure on the heart in pregnant women, especially in the third trimester

Sleeping on your stomach

Advantages:

Opens the airway to help reduce snoring

Disadvantages:

Causes increased gravity on your ribs to make breathing less energy-efficient
Provides the least back and neck support of the three positions
Contributes to facial wrinkles
Makes it difficult to get comfortable when pregnant

Sleeping on your side

Advantages:

Advances spinal alignment, making it ideal for those with back pain, particularly when using support pillows
Reduces snoring and heartburn, which means it’s beneficial for those with acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea
Promotes comfort, ease of breathing, and reduced pressure on the spine and internal organs, making it a top choice for pregnant people and older adults

Disadvantages:

Increases pressure on the shoulders, which means it’s not ideal for those with pain in this region
Contributes to facial wrinkles

So which side is best?

A recent study published in the journal Sensors found that sleeping on your right side, combined with lower rates of turning, promoted higher-quality sleep.