“I’ve had at least 10 hours of sleep, why am I still feeling so restless?” This may be a thought you have had on several mornings after an apparent unpeaceful night. Diving into the science of sleeping, we have uncovered the reasons many of us feel this way, from the posture we sleep in and even to the choice of our pillows, these are some of the mistakes you’ve been committing that disrupt your rest, without you even knowing it!
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Wrong sleeping posture
To put it simply, the one position you should avoid sleeping in would be on your stomach.
The reason behind it really comes down to the comfort (or discomfort) of your neck and spine, when sleeping face front against the bed. Because in this position, our faces are not going to literally plow into the pillow, instead, we’d turn to either side to breathe, which then causes a misalignment of our spines, causing pressure against the joints.
As a result of this neck twist, you are more than likely going to wake up with a sore neck, feeling groggy and irritated, which will certainly be an obstacle when going about your day-to-day activities.
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How can I fix it?
The opposite, which is sleeping on your back, put yourself, and your joints in a much more comfortable position that will not cause any form of strain or aches when you hear the birds chirp in the morning.
It helps to keep your spine aligned and body weight evenly distributed. Though you may find yourself snoring more often when sleeping on your back, let’s just agree that a great night’s sleep sometimes needs a little compromise.
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Pillow matters
Finally, you should be concerned about the placement and choice of pillow you use. As you may already know, there are a variety of pillows to choose from these days. From the mega-soft feather pillows that just sinks right as our head rests on them, to the sturdy memory foam pillows that may be seemingly uncomfortable in the first couple of nights, we all have a preferred choice of pillow.
Alignment of Pillow
It’s always advisable to sleep with a pillow that has your neck aligned with your spine. One way you can ensure that is to simply position your pillow a little downwards at the bottom of your head where your neck rests.
When sleeping on your back, you may consider preparing a second pillow that rests under the back of your knee for an added support on your lower back.
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When sleeping on your sides, you’re encouraged to have another pillow between your knees so as to prevent your upper leg from pulling your spine out of alignment.
On a final note, it’s perfectly normal to twist, turn and roll about in our beds when we’re trying to get into the zone, while we do that, let’s remember to not twist our waists, but move our entire body as one.
Do these, and you’re going to thank yourself every morning!
