Popular Sleeping Positions Could Damage Your Nerves, Experts Say
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The way we lie in bed could pose health risks beyond simple back pain, experts say. Your habitual posture can cause pain, reflux, snoring, and even nervous symptoms that appear the next morning.
“What we care about is whether someone is comfortable in their sleeping position. Many times we sleep a certain way because of comfort,” Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep specialist, told News Digital.
However, the way we sleep can often make us uncomfortable. When we sleep in uncomfortable positions, our bodies remain immobile in that position throughout the night, adding stress not only to our nerves, but also to our muscles and ligaments.
Contrary to popular belief, experts say that sleeping in curled-up positions isn’t necessarily linked to what’s going on mentally or the stress you’re under, meaning a physical approach to changing the way you sleep might be your best bet for relief.
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According to studies, sleeping with bent joints or folded limbs can compress nerves and reduce circulation. (iStock)
“Someone’s sleeping position doesn’t really mean anything about their psychological state, tension, stress or trauma.”
Nerve damage is a concern when sleeping in positions that involve bending or bending your arms. Dubbed the “T. rex position” on social media, health experts note that numbness in the arms at night is often related to nerve compression.
A 2023 review on cubital tunnel syndrome, in which people experience symptoms of numbness and stabbing pain in the forearm, specifically warns that sleeping with the elbow severely bent or tucked under a pillow can increase pressure on the nerve and worsen symptoms.
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While sleeping on your back may seem like a good way to keep your arms extended, it can contribute to snoring and acid reflux, according to the Sleep Foundation. But it’s important to know the benefits and risks before turning away.
Researchers and other experts recommend sleeping on your side, explaining that it puts less pressure on the body. (iStock)
In a detailed breakdown of stomach sleeping, the Sleep Foundation notes that lying on your stomach can misalign your spine and is linked to back, neck, and shoulder pain, largely because you have to turn your head to the side to breathe.
It is also the least common sleeping position, despite evidence linking it to decreased snoring.
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Harvard Health, referencing data from the Sleep Foundation, notes that sleeping on your side is the most common position and can be helpful for many people.
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Clinical psychologists like Harris emphasize that comfort is most important when it comes to your nightly routine. (iStock)
The Mayo Clinic guide to back pain also recommends sleeping on your side with your knees slightly bent and a pillow between your legs to better align your spine, pelvis, and hips and relieve pressure on your back.
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Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that positioning becomes more important as one ages or develops medical problems, highlighting back or side postures as more supportive options.
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Several medical centers and sleep resources recommend gradually transitioning to sleeping on your side or back and using thinner pillows (or none at all) if you can’t stop sleeping on your stomach immediately, to limit twisting of the neck and lumbar arch.
If you’re having trouble sleeping regardless of position or feel like your sleep isn’t restful, Harris recommends seeing a sleep specialist.
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Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant at News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of topics including food and drink, travel and health.