The Best Sleep Positions for a Restful Night
The quality of sleep has a tremendous impact on many areas of health, including mood, cognition, energy level, and physical well-being. While tastes and desires can differ widely, sleep position is a significant and often overlooked factor in restorative sleep. Sleep scientists emphasize that the best sleep position is determined by a number of variables, including age, body type, weight distribution, and comorbidities.
Selecting a mattress is equally important in determining the quality of sleep. Good and restful sleep positions require different degrees of retreat and support. Factors that influence this are mattress firmness, which influences the efficiency of breathing, pressure point relief, and the health of the spine. Understanding how these elements affect sleep quality and discomfort helps you make better choices, so you achieve the best sleep position.
Types of Sleep Positions
Sleep positional behavior develops primarily from years of routine behaviors, with a natural tendency toward what feels comfortable. Contrary to belief, most people do not use one positional pattern during the night. There are three main types of sleep positions, each of which can have several variations that affect the body differently. Getting to know sleep position and related implications will help a person with their sleep, how to add comfort to the sleeping environment, and understand specific health concerns.
Sleep Position: Fetal | Mattress Type Recommendation: Foam and Rebonded
The fetal position has you sleeping in a side position with the legs bent up into a curled position. Sleeping on the left is said to provide several benefits because it prevents pressure buildup on the major blood vessels and improves circulation. The side sleeping position and fetal position appear to keep the airways open. Foam and rebonded mattresses provide adaptive support that contours to the bend of the body while the foam redistributes pressure to the contact points of the body.
The best sleep positions for pregnancy are side sleeping postures, especially on your left side (the log or fetal position) because are because they alleviate the pressure on major blood vessels, promote blood flow both to the mother as well as to the baby, keep airways and nasal passages open, and lessen strain on the back and internal organs.
Sleep Position: Log | Recommended Mattress Type: Medium Firm
The log position is an extended version of the fetal position - side sleeping with both arms resting down alongside the body and both legs extended and fully straight to keep the spine aligned and straight. The log position provides relief from acid reflux and heartburn while sleeping because it keeps the esophagus elevated above the contents of the stomach. The log position also supports lymphatic drainage, which supports the body's natural detoxifying mechanisms while sleeping. Medium firm mattresses provide the best overall support for the log sleeper - again, preventing hip area sinkage and excess firmness.
Sleep Position: Sideways Stretched Out | Mattress Recommendation: Medium Firm
In the sideways stretched-out position, you remain oriented to the side while lying in a position that stretches your body into a straight line rather than curling into the fetal position. This position will distribute a lot of weight to one shoulder, one arm, and the side of your body. Staying in this position for long periods can potentially disrupt circulation to the compressed arm and shoulder, potentially resulting in tingling or numbness. Medium firm mattresses provide critical pressure relief by cradling weight-bearing areas while providing support so you don't sink too deep into the bed.
Sleep Position: Soldier | Recommended Mattress: Firm
The soldier position is sleeping on one's back with the body flat and arms straight down the side of the body. This position naturally keeps the cervical vertebrae in posture along with the entire spinal column, while also allowing the body to maintain an even weight distribution along the sleeping surface. It can also relieve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by ensuring gravity works to restrain acid reflux in the body. Firm mattresses will maintain pressure on the lower back throughout sleep and body alignment of the lumbar spine so that there is no decrease in support as the lumbar segment begins to sag at the end of sleep.
Sleep Position: Starfish | Mattress Recommendation: Orthopedic
The starfish position is characterized by sleeping on the back with the arms positioned up towards the pillow area and the legs spread apart in a relaxed manner. This open position can be a little more relaxing than the soldier position and may help to reduce the chance of facial wrinkles by reducing pressure on the facial tissues. An orthopedic mattress can be especially great for the starfish position by helping to keep your neck and spine properly positioned while you sleep.
Sleep Position: Freefall | Mattress Recommendation: Firm
The freefall position is a stomach sleeper with arms wrapping around or tucked under the pillow, while the head is turned to the side. The position can sometimes cause strain on the neck because of the twisting of the cervical spine, but it can help reduce mild snoring since the position keeps your airways more open than other sleeping positions. Some people find free-fall sleeping helps them with relaxation and stress relief. Firm mattresses are best for free-fall sleepers to help prevent the pelvis from sinking in and keep the spine in a neutral position.
A Guide to Choosing the Right Mattress Based on Your Sleeping Position
Whether you sleep on your front, side or back, choosing the right mattress can greatly improve how restful your sleep feels. At Duroflex, we have unique mattresses for every kind of sleeper.
Orthopedic Mattress
Orthopedic mattresses provide benefits to log sleepers, yearners and back sleepers and are designed to address various support orders. Duroflex’s orthopedic mattresses accommodate the natural cervical and spinal alignment of the body by distributing weight proportionally through the hips, they utilize 5 dedicated support zones to provide pressure-free cushioning for side sleeping without creating shoulder pain, they support side sleeping by limiting the amount of twisting in the torso to facilitate digestion and reduce sleep apnea by keeping airways open, while also cradling the spine for back sleeping.
Foam & Re-Bonded Mattress
Duroflex’s Foam and re-bonded mattresses are recommended for budget-seeking side and stomach sleepers, especially fetal positioners. The foam supports proper positioning to help reduce acid reflux and/or heartburn while enveloping and cushioning at the same time; the torso remains supported despite the soft, cloud-like top. Stomach sleeping is possible without the excessive rigidity that supports discomfort.
Comfort Mattress
Comfort mattresses made with materials such as memory foam, coir, or springs provide flexible choices depending on your sleeping style. Duroflex’s comfort mattresses alleviate shoulder and hip pain for side sleepers using responsive cushioning, relax the chest and torso muscles to make breathing easier for stomach sleeping, and provide the best spine alignment with full pressure relief for back sleeping.
Firm Mattress
Firm mattresses provide the most support while maintaining slight spinal alignment in all sleep positions. At Duroflex, our firm mattresses deliver firm lumbar support to back sleepers to help alleviate lower back pain, limit sinkage for side sleepers, maintain a neutral spine position for stomach sleepers so that the hips are not sinking down, and provide excellent spinal support for heavier individuals.
Medium Firm Mattress
At Duroflex, we combine comfort and therapeutic support in our medium firm mattresses. They are well-suited for combination sleepers who often migrate from position to position while sleeping. These adaptable mattresses relieve shoulder pressure and provide appropriate elevation for the hips for side sleepers, maintain abdominal support for stomach sleepers, and relieve pressure while maintaining spinal alignment for back sleepers.
Soft Mattress
Soft mattresses provide considerable pressure relief, especially for side sleepers, because they are well-made and conform closely to the shape of the sleeper's body. Duroflex’s soft mattresses provide additional arm and shoulder support for side sleepers who require it, provide some lumbar support for lightweight back sleepers, and provide comfort and bounce for stomach sleepers and are suitable for children and lightweight adults.
