This position is also a lifesaver for people who deal with snoring or sleep apnea. Dr. Natalie Dautovich, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a scholar at the National Sleep Foundation, explains that sleeping on your side is a great way to keep your airways open. For those who are pregnant, this position helps take the weight off the belly. Specifically, a 2012 study from BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth pointed out that “sleeping on your left side specifically can help promote oxygen flow to both the mother and fetus.”
How to Set Up Your Bed for Success
If you want to stay in a side-sleeping position throughout the night, you might need a little extra support. Dr. Hayden suggests using a body pillow tucked under your torso to support your knee and upper arm. To keep your hips and pelvis aligned, Dr. Dautovich recommends “placing another pillow in between your knees to relieve any pain.”
Your head placement is just as important. Your head should stay level with the rest of the mattress. It is best to avoid using multiple pillows that stack too high, as this can strain your neck. While it might feel nice to lean against a pile of pillows while reading or using social media, Dr. Kristina Petrocco-Napuli, a chiropractor and president of the ACA Council on Women’s Health, warns that you should not fall asleep that way.
When you fall into a deep sleep, your muscles relax. This means they are no longer actively protecting your joints. Dr. Hayden explains that your head weighs between 13 and 15 pounds. If it isn’t level with the mattress while you are on your side, it creates stress on the joints in your neck. Over time, this can lead to real problems. As Dr. Hayden explains, “Joints that are stressed will be eventually injured, and arthritic changes in the joint may manifest at some point.”
