Improves Posture Sleeping without a pillow may improve the posture of stomach sleepers, but it often has the reverse effect for back and side sleepers. Sleeping on your stomach frequently leads to poor sleep posture and strain on the neck and shoulders.
Sleeping without a pillow can help maintain a neutral spine, which might improve posture for some. But, it's not for everyone--especially if you deal with snoring, acid reflux, or back pain. Elevating your head or legs often provides more relief than sleeping completely flat.
Health Implications of Different Sleep Positions
Your posture and spine are significantly affected by how you sleep. While many people find that sleeping flat worsens lower back pain and stiffness, some people find that it helps maintain a neutral spine position.
The evidence. Since the late 80s, it's been well evidenced by Gracovetsky et al (1987) that semi-foetal side lying is the best position for a neutral resting spine. Neutral resting spine is a key component of good sleep posture. When your spine is neutral, it's also straight.
Hunchback posture causes an unsightly, painful hump in the upper back. The good news is that hunchback is often reversible when you commit to a treatment plan.
The ideal sleep position: On your back
For optimal spine alignment, place one pillow underneath your head or neck and another underneath your knees. If you're pregnant, however, you should avoid this position because it decreases blood circulation to the heart and baby.
It May Improve Your Posture
Sleeping on the floor can make it easier for you to keep your spine straight during sleep, since you don't have to worry about sinking too deeply into a mattress. However, you may need to use pillows to decrease pressure on your spine, such as placing a thin pillow beneath your lower back.
Some research suggests that sleeping naked can promote better sleep, leading to various mental and physical health benefits. By encouraging core body temperature regulation, naked sleeping may help support reproductive function, skin health, cortisol levels, metabolic control, and more.
"Sleeping on the side seems to have the least negative impact on health," Dr. Pirtle says. Side sleeping is associated with several potential health benefits. Interestingly, the side of the body a person sleeps on can affect what benefits they may receive.
A pillow that's too high can put your neck into a position that causes muscle strain on your back, neck, and shoulders. Choose a pillow that will keep the neck aligned with the chest and lower back. Your pillow should be adjustable to allow you to sleep in different positions. Replace your pillows every year or so.
Support your shoulders – During back sleep, neck support is at least as important as head support, so the tops of your shoulders should reach your pillow. Be wary, however, of sleeping too elevated on the pillow, as any gap between your shoulders and the bed can cause back and shoulder pain.
In short, sleeping with socks on may help you fall asleep and get better, deeper Zzzs. “Wearing socks to sleep can help you with thermoregulation by retaining heat, vasodilation for better peripheral circulation, and preventing heat loss through the extremities,” Dr. Harris explains.
Two sleeping positions are easiest on the neck: on your side or on your back. If you sleep on your back, choose a rounded pillow to support the natural curve of your neck, with a flatter pillow cushioning your head.
Sleeping on your stomach with no support is not recommended. Your spine will compress as a result, causing severe back pain.
Sleep on a cervical pillow. A cervical pillow, sometimes called an orthopedic pillow, is distinctively shaped with the center of the pillow curved inward to better support the natural curves of the head and cervical spine. The goal of the design is to keep your neck neutral rather than flexed forward.
Even if your posture has been a problem for years, it's possible to make improvements.
It's Never Too Late to Improve Your Posture. If you've been experiencing discomfort due to poor posture recently, you're not alone. With the rise in remote working in the past year, more and more people are finding themselves hunched over their computer screens and other devices in a poorly designed work space.
The best sleeping position for your shoulders is on your back, with your spine in a neutral position. This position removes excess pressure and strain from your shoulders, which should be parallel and your arms down by your sides.
Not everyone needs to sleep with a pillow. Sleeping without a pillow can reduce neck strain for people who sleep on their stomach. If you're a back or side sleeper, sleeping without a pillow can affect your sleep quality. Other benefits of sleeping without a pillow include better skin and fewer allergies.