This sleep position wreaks havoc on your health: experts
Beware — this info may be a lot to stomach.
People who sleep on their stomachs are more prone to various health issues, experts told The Mirror, and one of the biggest complaints among people who sleep on their front is lower back pain.
“If you already have neck and back problems, sleeping in this position is almost guaranteed to make them worse,” Dr. Tony Nalda from the Scoliosis Reduction Center explained.
Stomach sleeping can also make it more difficult to breathe.
“Front sleeping can make it harder to breathe deeply because the position compresses your diaphragm,” Nalda continued.
Additionally, sleeping on your stomach can put stress on your heart.
“By pressing on your chest, you make it harder for blood to circulate,” he said.
“Over time, this increases the risk of cardio issues, especially if you already have problems. If you struggle to breathe deeply, it can lead to higher blood pressure,” he added.
The front-sleeping position appears to be a real headache in more ways than one.
Sleeping on your stomach can cause migraines, pinched nerves and other neurological issues as a result of sleeping with a twisted neck.
Sleeping on your stomach could even lead to more facial wrinkles than other positions because of the way the position causes your face to compress on the pillow, according to the Sleep Foundation.
Pregnant women should also avoid stomach sleeping because it can lead to sleep deprivation, an increased risk of premature birth, more painful labor and postpartum depression.
If you’re a stomach sleeper who wants better quality sleep and improved health, changing your sleeping position may be an easy fix.
“Sleeping on your back or your side offers significantly more health benefits and less discomfort than sleeping on your stomach, “ the Sleep Foundation said on its website.
“For example, one study of sleepers with back pain found that those who switched to side or back sleeping reported significantly less back pain,” they continued.
Side sleeping is especially helpful for people who suffer from a breathing condition called sleep apnea since the position keeps the airway open.
Back sleeping keeps the spine in alignment but isn’t the best option for people with sleep apnea, since peoples’s tongues can fall back into their throats.
