7 Tips for Side Sleepers for a Good Night's Sleep

There is no one popular sleeping position but the majority of the people are side sleepers. In previous years, sleeping on the back was said to be the most beneficial but latest research has proven that sleeping on your side has the most benefits.

Some may find comfort in sleeping on their back or their stomach but mostly, people prefer sleeping on their side. There are benefits and disadvantages of all sleeping positions and side sleeping is no different.

For instance, sleeping on your side helps you avoid heartburn symptoms but it may cause strain on your shoulder leading to terrible aches in the morning. Fortunately, there are some precautions that you can take to avoid the cons of sleeping on your side.

If you are a side sleeper, you must do it correctly so it doesn’t cause you any pain in your neck or spine. We have listed a few tips for all the side sleepers so they may have a peaceful sleep at night.

1. Get the Right Side Sleeping Pillow

The first and foremost thing one needs to do in order to sleep peacefully is to get the right pillow. Your pillow plays an important role in determining the quality of your sleep. If you’re not sleeping with the right pillow, you might get terrible pains in your spine, neck, or joints.

Pillow Insider recommends side sleepers use a thick and firm pillow in order to avoid these body aches. Most side sleepers who sleep with a thin pillow often wake up with pains due to an irregular sleeping position. While sleeping on the side, one should be careful about aligning their head perfectly with their back.

When you sleep on your side, there forms a triangular shape between your neck and your pillow that needs to be filled in order to avoid neck pains and only a thick pillow can do that in order for you to get a peaceful sleep in a perfectly aligned position.

2. Fix a pillow between your knees

When you sleep on your side, your upper leg can change the alignment of your spine and can possibly cause pain in your lower back and hip. These pains won’t take place over the night but if you continuously sleep on your side then you might start to experience such pains.

But not to worry, you can easily avoid such sort of pain by placing a pillow between your knees while sleeping. With a pillow between the knees, your spine will be aligned perfectly and will reduce the pressure on your body. If you’re a regular side sleeper, then this is the perfect hack for you!

3. Sleep on a good mattress

A bad mattress is your body’s worst enemy. One should never compromise on a poor quality mattress. If your mattress is not even and has bumps here and there, it’s high time you replace it with a new one before you start complaining about back and neck aches.

Side sleepers need adequate support in order to sleep peacefully and if their mattress isn’t providing it to them, they’ll be uncomfortable all night. A firm mattress should fully support the curves of your body so that there is no pressure on your back.

A good quality mattress is worth the money because if you don’t invest in it now, you'll be spending on your body aches later on. As they say, better late than never.

4. Don’t stretch your legs

While sleeping on the side, people tend to stretch out their legs which puts pressure on their spine and can lead to some serious pain over the course of time. If you’re a strict side sleeper, don't stretch your legs but pull them closer to your chest instead.

As comfortable as this position is, it puts less strain on your spine, and hence no body aches. If you’re used to sleeping with your legs stretched out, it might seem uncomfortable at first but it’s a good habit to get into.

5. Rotate your body completely while turning in your sleep

If you’re a side sleeper, you would know that one doesn’t sleep on their side for the whole night. You twist and turn a number of times and you even sleep on your back for a while. During this occasional twisting and turning. you might find yourself sleeping in an awkward position which can put pressure on your spine.

When you don’t fully rotate your body, it puts an unnecessary amount of pressure on your spine leading to nasty back aches. Avoid such a problem by rotating your body all at once while turning in your sleep and remember to do it slowly.

6. Change positions

As every sleeping position has its own pros and cons, one can never fully avoid the disadvantages of one position. It’s always a better idea to switch positions occasionally in order to avoid body aches. This way you can also avoid the pains associated with a particular sleeping position.

7. Make some changes in your lifestyle

This tip is not strictly just for side sleepers and can act as an effective one for all types of sleepers. One can only sleep peacefully at night if they avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine before bedtime, minimize screen time, and eat a balanced diet. Having a slight exercise before bed also helps in sleeping peacefully.

These tips are proven and tested and will hopefully help you sleep peacefully and comfortably at night meanwhile avoiding body aches associated with sleeping on the side.