While lying on your stomach may feel great, like getting a full body hug for as long as you want, it’s not good for your neck and can contribute to more than a poor night’s sleep. If you wake up irritable with neck pain, headaches or tingling in your fingers, keep reading.
In the early 80’s parents were advised to put their babies to sleep on their tummies to reduce their chance of choking on their vomit and dying in their sleep. While there is some truth to this wives’ tale, by the late 80’s researchers started flagging stomach sleeping as a risk factor in SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In 2022 stomach sleeping is definitely considered as a risk factor for SIDS, especially in the 1st 1000 days of their lives. It is theorized that sleeping with your head and neck cranked to one side causes stress on the upper part of the neck and brain stem, reducing respiratory rate and causing death in some babies. While some can get away with sleeping on their stomach into their 20’s or even 60’s, it eventually causes recurring neck pain, headaches, tingling in the fingers and a poor night’s sleep.
Notice, in the photo above, sleeping on the stomach involves rotating the neck to one side as far as it can go, and keeping it there for hours. The facet joints on the downside are stretched open and the facet joints on the upside are compressed together. The constant compression of the neck joints while sleeping is similar to the effect of taping a finger into full flexion while you sleep, night after night.
When to take the tape off in the morning you have a stiff and sore finger. You would not do that to a normal healthy finger so why would you do that to your neck?
I stopped sleeping on my stomach in my mid 20’s, which instantly and dramatically reduced the recurrence of my neck pain, the tingling in my fingers while sleeping and my need for chiropractic care. My dad, however, suffered more than he needed to and refused to stop sleeping on his stomach until he was 65. By then, unfortunately, he had developed arthritis in his neck.
Here are my top 3 tips to help stop stomach sleeping:
- Buy a pillow that supports your neck properly while you sleep on your side or back. Have your chiropractor evaluate whether or not your pillow is right for you or prescribe you a better one.
- Take your old pillow and hold it up against your chest while sleeping. It will give you the same full body hug feeling without straining your neck.
- Have a chat with your subconscious mind while in the hypnotic trance state, when your body is asleep but your mind is awake, and ask it roll you on to your side or back if you happen to roll onto your stomach in your sleep. If you have this chat with your subconscious mind, you will notice yourself spontaneously rolling from your stomach to your side or back while you sleep.
Improving your sleep posture will not only give you a better night’s sleep. It will reduce the recurrence of neck pain, headaches and tingling in your fingers, and reduce your health care cost.
Why and how to stop sleeping on your stomach
April 16, 2022 by manager • News Blog
In the early 80’s parents were advised to put their babies to sleep on their tummies to reduce their chance of choking on their vomit and dying in their sleep. While there is some truth to this wives’ tale, by the late 80’s researchers started flagging stomach sleeping as a risk factor in SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In 2022 stomach sleeping is definitely considered as a risk factor for SIDS, especially in the 1st 1000 days of their lives. It is theorized that sleeping with your head and neck cranked to one side causes stress on the upper part of the neck and brain stem, reducing respiratory rate and causing death in some babies. While some can get away with sleeping on their stomach into their 20’s or even 60’s, it eventually causes recurring neck pain, headaches, tingling in the fingers and a poor night’s sleep.
Notice, in the photo above, sleeping on the stomach involves rotating the neck to one side as far as it can go, and keeping it there for hours. The facet joints on the downside are stretched open and the facet joints on the upside are compressed together. The constant compression of the neck joints while sleeping is similar to the effect of taping a finger into full flexion while you sleep, night after night.
I stopped sleeping on my stomach in my mid 20’s, which instantly and dramatically reduced the recurrence of my neck pain, the tingling in my fingers while sleeping and my need for chiropractic care. My dad, however, suffered more than he needed to and refused to stop sleeping on his stomach until he was 65. By then, unfortunately, he had developed arthritis in his neck.
Here are my top 3 tips to help stop stomach sleeping:
Improving your sleep posture will not only give you a better night’s sleep. It will reduce the recurrence of neck pain, headaches and tingling in your fingers, and reduce your health care cost.