Our sleeping habits are individual.  There are the side, belly and back sleepers, the flippers, floppers and face-downers. Some barely move and others wake up with sheets and duvet entangled.   

We spend one-third of our lives sleeping (well, we used to).  We take care of our spines during our waking hours keeping it erect and well balanced while we sit and surf and run and play. We tell ourselves all day to keep our shoulders down.  But, what's our spine doing while we sleep? Surprisingly, we don't think much about it. Who'd know that our head is awkwardly hanging forward and turned and our shoulders are all askew--one forward, one back, one high and one low (you get the picture).  

As I'm sure you've heard, sleeping on our belly is not good.  The neck is extended and rotated leading to a variety of issues, including compress of the nerves. Look at the photo above.  The right shoulder is hiked up, the head is extended and twisted and the lower back is over-arched.  Can you image what this position would look like standing and being static for hours? (Ouch!)  There's no good way to sleep on your stomach.  So, stop it, I guess.

Sixty-percent of us are back-sleepers.  Sleeping on your back is good, but not with a mass of pillows.  Speaking of masses of pillows, have you noticed the number of pillows that come with your hotel room?(1) Using a pillow that is too high puts your head in the exact head-forward position we're trying to avoid during the day (a reverse curve).  Make sure your pillow is low, putting your head in a neutral position.  Can you try "not" using a pillow--that would be optimal for your spine.  Those contour pillows are nice, but aren't high enough for side sleepers (see below).   People with sleep apnea or chronic snoring should not sleep on their back.  

Then there's the side-sleepers. This can be a fine position given that the pillow is high enough to fill the gap between your shoulder and head.  If it's not high enough, the head hangs.  My amazing Rolfer practitioner, Scott Quinn(2), corrected me on my sleeping posture (not directly, of course).  It turns out that the fetal position, although comforting, is not good for me. According Quinn, I want to keep our spine straight, so if I'm sleeping on your side, I need to keep my head, shoulders and hips in the same line.  I've been actively trying this and it takes practice, for sure. I also want to keep my top shoulder over the bottom shoulder and not allow it to fall forward.(3).  Having a "hug" pillow helps.  

Why do we care?  Keeping our spine and the surrounding musculature healthy goes a long way to our general well-being.  Notice when you wake up with sore neck, that often then turns into a headache, and eventually evolves into a fight with the spouse.  Selecting the right sleeping position can help avoid the neck, back and hip pain, which sometimes greets us in the morning.  No pain, better mood, happier family, friends and co-workers!

Don't be fooled by the claims that it's the mattress and not us.  I'm sure we're getting a screwing by the mattress companies who have us convinced that it's the bed that makes the difference. Have you seen the price of some of these beds?  Pillows, too. Are you one of those that take your pillow on trips?  

Your sleeping shape also affects the hips/pelvis.  Depending on your body shape, you may want to add a pillow between your legs while sleeping on your side.  This keeps the top leg from falling forward and dragging on the pelvis  This can go a long way to helping people with pelvic/back issues like sciatica or iliosacral joint pain.  Slide a pillow under the knees when on the back, and your lower back will thank you.