The Best & Worst Sleeping Positions According To Science

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    Back Sleepers Pros: Snoozing on the old back is a boon for spine and neck health, because the back is straight and not forced into any contortions. In a perfect (and slightly uncomfy) world, everyone would sleep on their backs without a pillow, as this position leaves the neck in a neutral position. Too many pillows effects the spines shape and also reduces breathing capacity. Back sleeping is also a winner for the more cosmetically inclined. Spending all night with your face up in the air, free to breath and relax leads to fewer facial wrinkles. You can thank me later. Cons: Snoring and shallow breathing are much more frequent when a person is sleeping on their back. When we sleep on our backs, gravity forces the base of the tongue to collapse into the airway, which obstructs breathing and creates oh-so-pleasant snoring noises that keeps the neighbours up at night. A study comparing the sleep habits of good sleepers and poor sleepers noted the people with worse-quality sleep spent more time on their backs than the good sleepers.
    1/3 Back Sleepers Pros: Snoozing on the old back is a boon for spine and neck health, because the back is straight and not forced into any contortions. In a perfect (and slightly uncomfy) world, everyone would sleep on their backs without a pillow, as this position leaves the neck in a neutral position. Too many pillows effects the spines shape and also reduces breathing capacity. Back sleeping is also a winner for the more cosmetically inclined. Spending all night with your face up in the air, free to breath and relax leads to fewer facial wrinkles. You can thank me later. Cons: Snoring and shallow breathing are much more frequent when a person is sleeping on their back. When we sleep on our backs, gravity forces the base of the tongue to collapse into the airway, which obstructs breathing and creates oh-so-pleasant snoring noises that keeps the neighbours up at night. A study comparing the sleep habits of good sleepers and poor sleepers noted the people with worse-quality sleep spent more time on their backs than the good sleepers.
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    Side Sleepers Pros: Whether they’re curling up in the fetal position, spooning, or lying straight on one side, the majority of people report they sleep on their sides. Side sleeping is also a pregnancy winner because sleeping on the back puts pressure on the lower back (which can lead to fainting) and stomach-sleeping is unadvised for obvious reasons. For the baby-free amongst us, sleeping on the left side can also ease heartburn and acid reflux. Cons: Sleeping on the left side can put pressure on the stomach and lungs. And as almost all side-sleepers know well, this position can result in the dreaded squished-arm-numbness, a nightmare for anyone who isn’t in the Dead Hand Gang. Resting the head on a single arm can restrict blood flow and press down on the nerves, which results in “rubber arm” or painful pins and needles.
    2/3 Side Sleepers Pros: Whether they’re curling up in the fetal position, spooning, or lying straight on one side, the majority of people report they sleep on their sides. Side sleeping is also a pregnancy winner because sleeping on the back puts pressure on the lower back (which can lead to fainting) and stomach-sleeping is unadvised for obvious reasons. For the baby-free amongst us, sleeping on the left side can also ease heartburn and acid reflux. Cons: Sleeping on the left side can put pressure on the stomach and lungs. And as almost all side-sleepers know well, this position can result in the dreaded squished-arm-numbness, a nightmare for anyone who isn’t in the Dead Hand Gang. Resting the head on a single arm can restrict blood flow and press down on the nerves, which results in “rubber arm” or painful pins and needles.
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    Stomach Sleepers Pros: Stomach sleeping eases snoring and some cases of sleep apnea, but that’s pretty much the only good thing about going belly-down at night. Sorry front-down sleepers. Cons: Resting on the tummy is widely regarded as the worst sleeping position. It flattens the natural curve of the spine, which can lead to lower back pain. Sleeping all night with the head turned to one side also strains the neck. If this is the preferred position, try using pillows to gradually train the body to sleep on one side.
    3/3 Stomach Sleepers Pros: Stomach sleeping eases snoring and some cases of sleep apnea, but that’s pretty much the only good thing about going belly-down at night. Sorry front-down sleepers. Cons: Resting on the tummy is widely regarded as the worst sleeping position. It flattens the natural curve of the spine, which can lead to lower back pain. Sleeping all night with the head turned to one side also strains the neck. If this is the preferred position, try using pillows to gradually train the body to sleep on one side.

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For something so simple (even babies manage it), sleep isn’t such an easy thing. Getting a good night’s sleep is pivotal for our health, body, mind, and our mood, especially since we spend one-third of our lives asleep. The position you adopt in bed (when sleeping, not shagging) can play a role in snoring, heartburn, even wrinkles. Who knew?

A study by the Institute of Medicine found that a whopping 50–70 million U.S. adults suffer from sleep disorders. That’s a lot of folks nodding off at work or standing in a Starbucks queue for their third espresso. Well enough is enough. Here’s what your snooze-spots are doing for your health—and what little tweaks you can make to get you counting z’s in no time.