Sleep Tight Every Night!

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]leep is vital to maintain good health. Sleep deprivation not only makes us drowsy during the day, affecting our thinking and productivity, but it can also affect our mental health and increase the risk of kidney and heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.  For adults, 7-8 hours of sleep is recommended. Children need 9-13 hours, while babies require up to 17 hours.

There are five stages in the sleep cycle, and our ability to manage this smoothly determines the quality of our sleep. Disturbance during any of these stages can leave us feeling tired when we wake up. The stages are:

Stage 1: A light sleep where you can easily drift in and out of sleep and easily be woken. You may feel muscle spasms during this stage or experience the sensation of falling.

Stage 2: Eye movements stop and brain waves slow down to prepare the body for a deep sleep.

Stage 3: Deep sleep; the brain waves slow down with occasional smaller, faster waves. This is when people experience sleepwalking or night terrors.

Stage 4: Deep sleep continues with mainly slow waves. If awakened during this stage you can feel disorientated for a few minutes.

Stage 5: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is when we dream most intensely and our eyes move rapidly from side to side.

As a physiotherapist I meet people who not only have trouble falling asleep because of pain but also feel pain during the night and on waking. I am often asked what is the best sleep position to get not only a restful sleep but to wake up pain-free. If you browse the Internet there is a lot of conflicting advice, making it difficult to make an informed choice. So, I have decided to open the curtains and shed light on the pros and cons of each sleeping position. What works for one person may not work for you, so take time to experiment. Hopefully you will be able to find the right position to help you get a good night’s rest and wake up with less aches and pains.

Stomach Sleeper: Good for those suffering from sleep apnoea or snoring but that’s about as far as the benefits go.  Sleeping on your stomach is considered the worst position as it reduces the natural curve of the spine and can also put stress on the neck, as the head is turned to one side. If you really cannot sleep in any other position, choose a firm mattress with a pillow placed under your hips so that less pressure is placed on your lower back. Use a flat pillow, or no pillow, under your head to decrease the angle at which your neck rests.

Side Sleeper: Sleeping on your side has many benefits, unless you suffer from shoulder problems, but not not all sides are equal; sleeping on the left has more benefits. Research has shown that left side sleeping can aid digestion, reduce heartburn, stop snoring, improve blood circulation and improve lymphatic drainage. But it can put pressure on the lungs, stomach, liver and shoulders. People often complain of shoulder pain or numbness in the arm on waking, usually caused by sleeping with your arm under your head or your pillow; it is best to avoid this position. Also, when sleeping on your side, try to keep the body as straight as possible. Many people adopt the foetal position; this can put pressure on the neck and lower back, especially if the knees are tucked in tightly.

Back Sleeper: This is said to be the best position, unless you are a snorer. It causes the tongue to relax and fall into the back of the throat. Apart from this, laying on your back allows the spine to adopt a neutral position, placing less pressure on the neck and back. A bonus is that as your face is not pressed against the pillow, it can help to minimize wrinkles.

May you rest in peace and get up in the morning full of beans!

Kim Jackson is a UK-trained physiotherapist with over 20 years’ experience. She specializes in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, including back pain and sciatica, stroke and other neuro conditions plus sports physiotherapy, having worked with local, regional and international athletes and teams treating injuries and analyzing biomechanics to improve function and performance.  She is registered with the Allied Health Council and is a member of PASL. She currently works at Bayside Therapy Services in Rodney Bay,

www.baysidetherapyservices.com