Abigail Tobis ‘20, Editor-in-Chief
Sleeping: it is one of the most essential elements in order to lead a happy and healthy life. Not getting enough sleep can cause your work performance to be inadequate, as well as causing mood shifts, possible accidents and more negative effects that can be detrimental to your health. On the other hand, if you get a good amount of sleep, which the doctor recommends seven to nine hours for teenagers, then your school performance would be astronomically better.
Although, the amount of rest that you get is not the only factor that plays a role in getting you a quality night’s sleep. Your sleeping position is the underdog to achieving a better night’s rest.
On your back
This being the least favorite, having only eight percent of people actually sleep this way, it is by far the healthiest. Senior Sierra Steckle said, “I have tried to sleep this way because I know it is better for you, but I just can’t.” Not only does it prevent neck and back pain, it also reduces acid reflux and decreases the chance of getting wrinkles. When you sleep on your spine you are not curving your back in any way that is harmful for you body. The only negative to sleeping in this position is that is causes the individual to snore more often and is dangerous to those with sleep apnea due to the tongue’s ability to possibly block the breathing tube.
On your side (legs are relatively straight)
This position is considered the second best, with only 15 percent of adults choosing to sleep this way. Sleeping this way reduces acid reflux, can help neck and back pain, and it also helps to snore less frequently. This is also a popular sleep position for pregnant women. More specifically, sleeping on the left side is good for pregnancy because it increases blood flow. In addition, sleeping on the left side is known to help decrease heartburn. The downside to this position is that it can increase wrinkling of the skin because your face is pushing into the pillow.
Fetal Position (on your side and your knees are bent)
The fetal position is one that is not really preferred because it does not help neck or back pain. This is the second most popular sleeping position with 41 percent of adults sleeping this way. Curling up in this position can be harmful to your diaphragm and can make you sore the next morning, especially for those with Arthritis. The only real positive that this position upholds is that it prevents snoring and can be a sleeping option for those who are pregnant.
On your stomach
This is the worst sleeping position because it can cause neck and back pain. You have your head to one side for multiple hours, causing neck strain that you may feel later the next day. This is the least popular sleeping position with only seven percent of adults choosing to sleep this way, as is it extremely bad for the body. The only good thing that this position is for is to prevent snoring, which is not really a benefit at all when you are hurting all the other parts of your body.
The students of South Lyon were surveyed, and the results were interesting to say the least. As we can see from the graph below, we see that the majority of the students switch between the different positions. We also see that the second most popular response was sleeping on the stomach, which was considered the least popular for most adults.
Sleeping is an essential part of a person’s day and making sure that you are sleeping in the healthiest way possible can help in so many different ways. It can make the difference between having a good day or a bad day, so make sure you know what is best for your body.
Information from Sleep.Org and Explore Health
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Lyon Life 