Tip 24 Best Rest
StrongPosture® Tip 24: Extra support for your sleep posture
Positioning for upper body and hips to avoid pain
Posture is how you hold your body to balance. When standing, its how you balance each PostureZone, Head, Torso, Pelvis, Lower Extremity (feet, knees and hips pretty much move together). Muscles should relax when sleeping, so to avoid uneven joint stress check out how each PostureZone aligns when your body is at rest.
Structurally, the torso and pelvis are generally similar in size, so the key is aligning and squaring the head and lower extremity. A good posture supporting pillow should align your head with your upper body if you’re a side or back sleeper.
Squaring your Torso and Pelvis
Back sleepers have their legs on the mattress, which pretty much aligns torso and pelvis. Adding a pillow under the knees can reduce stress on the low back muscles and joints.
Side sleeping is the most common position, bending at the hips and knees, with unsupported upper leg falling forward to rest on the mattress. The pelvis twists in, but the torso tends to stay square, rotating the spine and creating asymmetric muscle and joint stress. If you sleep on one side all the time, the uneven stress molds muscles and joints to make one side become less comfortable.
If you’re a side sleeper, put a small pillow between your legs to raise your thigh. This squares and supports the pelvis, and alleviates low back stress. Look for a knee pillow that stays in place as you turn during the night. These types of supports align your hips and cushion your knees without the excess bulk of a regular pillow. Whatever knee support you choose, try to find one that will attach to your leg with an adjustable, stretchy strap to keep it in place all night.
Take the time tonight to evaluate your favored sleeping positions and then design a sleep posture environment that fits and supports your body.