We spend approximately one third of our lives sleeping, but many of us don’t get the most restful — or healthful — sleep we can because we’ve developed bad habits when it comes to posture.  Bad posture habits during sleep are even harder to break than those we’ve developed during waking hours, simply because we’re not usually aware of them. Many of us wake up with aches and pains without any idea why we have them. The reason may be that we’ve established a pattern of postural stress that creates spinal problems. 

The American Chiropractic Association (ACAToday.com) has the following suggestions for maintaining good sleep posture:

1. Find the mattress that is right for you.  While a firm mattress is generally recommended, some people find that softer mattresses reduce their back pain.  Your comfort is important.

2.  Avoid sleeping on your stomach.  Sleeping on your side or back often alleviates back pain. If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs.  If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees.

3. Sleep with a pillow that supports you properly. Special pillows are available to help with postural problems resulting from poor sleeping positions.

4. Have a periodic spinal examination.

Chiropractic checkups for the spine and nervous system are important to maintain the structural integrity of your body. Pain is a symptom and not a cause:  It signals that the body is not functioning properly. And remember that nerves travel through the spine to all parts of the body, meaning that the source of the problem may not be at the point of the pain.

For more information about spinal health, visit Denville Medical & Sports Rehabilitation Center at DenvilleMedical.com.