Fw: [HAWK_Health_Awareness] Sleep positions

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Suzanne <suziesgoats

HAWK_Health_Awareness

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 8:56:11 PM

[HAWK_Health_Awareness] Sleep positions

 

 

How Sleep Positions Affect Your Slumber

by Josh Day

 

Getting consistent and quality sleep is something many adults in the U.S. and

Britain find elusive, studies have shown.

Do you get more than seven hours of sleep a night? On a regular basis?

Lack of sleep, as well as troubled or shallow sleep, can lead to health problems

and fatigue during the day.

Even if you don't have insomnia, you may not be getting adequate sleep due to

something you likely have not thought about.

You're going to be surprised; this is a simple thing that makes perfect sense...

According to the UK's Telegraph:

A recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that nearly two

thirds of adults have trouble at least a few nights a week. Seven or eight hours

is considered by experts to be the optimum amount for adults, but a third of

Britons regularly sleep five hours or less a night, with 18 per cent claiming

they never get a good night’s sleep.

But the secret of a peaceful night may be as straightforward as a simple

adjustment to the position in which you sleep. (Is Your Sleep Position a

Nightmare, Telegraph)

The article goes on to outline five of the most common sleeping positions.

These positions are:

* The Fetus

 

* The Solider

 

* The Starfish

 

* The Log

 

* The Yearner

* The Free-Faller

No, they are not lost books from T.S. Eliot's epic " The Wasteland, " but simple

descriptors of sleeping positions.

Let's break each one down.

1. The Fetus

As it sounds, this position resembles a milder fetus pose, lying on your side

with your legs bent. Your arms are slightly out.

This is one of the healthiest positions, according to the experts quoted in the

Telegraph article:

Not only does it allow air to pass freely through the body’s passages, Chris

Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre and an expert in sleep

disorders, says it also deters stomach reflux, where digestive acid travels back

from the stomach causing a burning pain – a common problem for those who sleep

on their back.

However, do not put weight on your arms, as this will cause pins and needles;

instead try crossing them in a brace position. Osteopaths also advise that fetal

sleepers maintain a straight back. (Telegraph)

I've found this to be one of the most comfortable positions for me to enter

sleep. Also I seem to wake up in this position most often.

2. The Soldier

This position has you on your back, legs straight, arms at the side.

(An alternative to this position is one I call the " Dead Man's Chest. " Your arms

are crossed over your chest or folded. In unfamiliar beds this is often the only

way I'm able to fall asleep.)

This position is not the best for a quality night's sleep.

There are also respiratory issues.

The Soldier position promotes snoring as your tongue has a tendency to fall to

the back of your mouth.

3. The Starfish

On your back, your arms and legs spread out and going in whichever direction's

the most comfortable.

Obviously this position is limited to having a large bed or sleeping alone.

However, this is healthiest way to sleep on your back if you're inclined to do

so, even though this position also leads to snoring.

If you have trouble sleeping with someone else, it's okay to bring up the idea

of separate beds or different rooms, if you or your sleeping companion snores.

There's a cultural taboo about sleeping apart, but the truth of the matter is

sleep is more important than societal norms.

And it's not like you have to advertise the fact you and your spouse sleep

apart... no one has to know as its your business and your business alone.

4. The Log

The Log position looks something like a body on its side with arms straight

down.

The Telegraph states:

“As long as the mattress and pillows are supportive,” explains osteopath and

sleep expert Danny Williams, “this position maintains a neutral spine, allowing

it to lengthen. Also, breathing is not compromised and all of the body functions

work well.” (Telegraph)

The article goes on to claim this is an excellent position that should make

everyone comfortable.

5. The Yearner

Once again you're sleeping on your side, but this time your arms are reaching

out.

“This is an excellent position to sleep in, and the one I recommend,” says Sammy

Margo. “Lying on either side can help the structures of the back discs, muscles

and ligaments adopt an optimal position.”

Having your arms in front of you will prevent them going to sleep. You may wish

to position yourself at a quarter turn so that you are not squashing your

shoulders together. (Telegraph)

6. The Free-Faller

The " skydiving " position with your body on its front, head turned, arms on and

above the pillow.

Try to avoid this one.

This “skydiving” position has the potential to cause a lot of problems. Resting

with the neck at a 90° angle can cause stiffness and “cricks”. Sleeping with

your hands up at face level can generate pins and needles, often the result of

compression in the bundle of nerves in the neck. If you sleep in a bed that is

too soft, this position may also put an asymmetrical strain on your spine.

(Telegraph)

 

 

   Suzi 

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