Sleeping positions and the effects thereof
 

What position do you sleep in? Have you ever tried changing because of something you heard about that particular sleeping position? I personally sleep on my stomach, but I try to sleep on my back, but can only pull it off when I'm very tired. It's just not as comfortable for me. The reason I try to sleep on my back, is because whenever I sleep on my back, I have a dream that I am able to remember the next morning. When I sleep on my stomach or my side, I'm never able to remember a dream. Does anyone else have any experience like this, or is this all in my head? I also heard that sleeping on your stomach is harder on your organs... I'm not sure how much truth there is in that statement though.

Spelling error in the title... sorry.

I usually end up falling asleep on my side or stomach, but I try and lay on my back while in bed because I can feel that it's the most restorative position to be in. My muscles can't really relax well if I'm all bunched up to one side, yet, that's always the way I wake up.

I cannot fall asleep on my back or side unless I am incredibly exhausted. I usually fall asleep and wake up on my stomach. I usually sleep in sort of a "leaping" positon, with my head turned to the side. Of course, this also means I wake up with a severe back and neck ache every morning.

I always rest on my stomach or side for awhile when I first lay down, but that's only good for relaxing. It's rare that I can fall asleep in any position other than my back, and the few times that I've managed it was pretty painful the next morning. Waking up with both arms paralyzed for a few minutes thanks to sleeping on top of them is never terribly fun. Well, at least not after the first 30 seconds or so of "Haha, awesome, they're completely numb."

Sadly, even I'm not capable of sleeping in a cheese position.

I usually start out on my side, but end up on my stomach, always with one foot hanging off the bed. More often than not, I wake up several times during the night and am conscious of turning over, usually because there's a cat in my face. Every so often, when I can't fall asleep, I wind up on my back, and rarely I fall asleep in that position. I wish I could do that every night, but usually I get restless after a few minutes and go back to my side.

I sleep on my side, its really the only way I can get comfy. If I sleep on my back my brain tends to start thinking randomly(don't ask)and I can never get to sleep with all these weird thoughts. I can't sleep on my stomach because it keeps making my shirt uncomfortable. I've never slept in a ball or cheese(hmmm?) but I have found myself in very akward positions every morning, like I'll be sleeping in a normal position(head to the backboard and feet to the bottom) then in the morning my head will be at the bottom of the bed.

I love it when that happens.

You didn't include "all of the above except cheese" as an option :(

I used to sleep on my sides and then decided lying on my stomach was more comfortable. I only sleep on my back if I have to (if say it would be painful any other way) because I'm about 90% more likely to have nightmares. I think it's because I'm not used to it.

Won't you suffocate if you sleep on your stomach? I usually sleep on my back or, when my cat is sitting on my stomach, I sleep on the side so he falls over, hehe http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsys...emot-owned.gif

I sleep on my stomach most of the time with both of my arms underneath my pillow, though I fall asleep on my side every once in a while. It is almost impossible for me to fall asleep on my back. When I do, I sleep really lightly and seem to have weird hallucinations (feelings of falling, hearing voices that aren't there, hearing music that hasn't been written before, and strange stuff like that).

You can avoid suffocating yourself while sleeping on your stomach if you turn your head to either side so that your mouth is not crammed into the pillow, Musharraf. It sounds uncomfortable, but when you find that "right" position you won't strain your neck. Sleeping so that your mouth is barely hanging off of the edge of the pillow on the left or right side also improves air flow.

Wow, I didn't know so many people slept on their stomachs. I prefer to sleep on my right side, though I can sleep on my left or on my back without too much of a problem.

I sleep on my back, making me part of a surprising minority. Most of the people I know around me sleep on their backs too, I know probably no one that sleeps on their stomach and I myself can't seem to fall sleep face down. This is rather enlightening.

No one (except one) is talking about whether they dream or not in certain positions! This is what I'm most interested in, because people think I'm crazy when I tell them I only remember my dreams when I sleep on my back.

I dream in all positions. Depending on how I feel that day I switch between my side, back, and stomach for sleeping... So I guess I really don't have a preference.

I usually fall asleep on my right side. But when I wake up, I'm almost always on my back. Usually, my arms are crossed over my body in the "sarcophagus" position.

Never once have I ever been able to sleep on my stomach except when I had a severe stomach flu, was exhausted and the only way I could stave off the stomach pain was by sleeping stomach-down. That's been about twice in my life. All other nights are spent on my side and back.

Haha! I knew I couldn't be the only one that slept like this! (When I do sleep on my back, that is.)

I fall asleep much more comfortably on my side, but as soon as I'm asleep I unconsciously roll onto my back. So I'm not really sure which poll option to check.

It's hell on my back, since I frequently suffer insomnia. Those nights when I keep waking up, I'm on my side all night and wind up with a sore back the next morning from laying wrong.

I actually don't know what position I dream in, but I definitely have an easier time sleeping on my side than on my back. I rarely try on my stomach.

I'm with Gumby on this one... I can sleep in just about any position. Sleeping on my back is probably the hardest for me to do.

I can only fall asleep on my side. Either one works; I generally switch from one side to another three or four times before I fall asleep. I'd love to be able to sleep on my back, though, it'd be much easier on my shoulders and back, both of which are frequently sore from my terrible posture.

I sleep however. Normally depends on how the boyfriend's holding or I'm holding him.

And the word you're looking for is "effects." I'm really surprised one of the more anal of people earlier didn't point this out.

I used to sleep on my side, usually favoring my right side. But earlier this year, I started suffering terrible pains whenever I did so, pain so debilitating I couldn't even sleep on my left side, as my hanging right arm would ache.

Since then, I've been unable to sleep on my right side or the pain will return, so I've been forced to sleep on my back. It works well enough, but I wake up with a persistant sore throat, and I look like a goon (thanks to the aforementioned "sarcophagus" position).

I have never been able to sleep on my stomach unless I'm utterly spent, nd even then I usually wake up in some other position.

I typically sleep on my back or my side with my back facing the wall. It creeps me out when I just have open space behind me. I always feel like I'm seconds from being stabbed or something.

I'll only lie down on my stomach to take power naps. Unfortunately, when I sleep on my stomach I always wake up to find a large drool spot on my pillow.

Wow... I'm usually anal about that myself... I can't believe I didn't catch that. My apologies.

Omg a F'ing love your avatar/sig.

Usually start on back, and find myself on my right side, such as when I wake up during the night. I should prop up a camera and tape myself sleeping; not only will that notify me of my sleeping position but will let me know if there are any shifty characters lurking outside my window. Or creatures. I swear, last night I heard demonic, squeaking noises coming from underneath my window.

Anyway, sideways all the way. Presumably.

I sleep on my side, because I snore if I sleep on my back, and I have this awesome backpain if I sleep on my belly.

I try to sleep on my back, because I don't want any unsightly vertical facial wrinkles when I get older (my dad has them on one side of his face in particular from laying on that side for 55 years)...but I inevitably wake up on my stomach.
I can't sleep on my side...for whatever reason. I usually end up with an arm asleep if I try to do that.

I used to sleep on my back until few years ago. Then I've started to get sleep paralysis if I slept in that position. Not a nice feeling, I tell you...
Nowadays I sleep on my side.

I sleep on my back but lately, I've been having extraordinary back pain. I'll prob migrate to sleeping on my side.

I absolutely hate how mods can edit my post however they feel like they should.

I normally fall to sleep on one of my sides. (I'm like a cube!) However, I know I change positions during the night, so I'm really not sure how to answer the question.

Am I the only one that seriously sleeps in a ball? I interpreted that as fetal position, so it could be a hybrid of side and something else.

It's usually hugging a pillow. As well, it ends up being 50/50 with lying on my back. A lot of the time I sleep on my side until I'm actually tired enough to the point where I'm just about to lose consciousness, and the I roll on my back to seal the deal.

Stomach sleeping is too suffocating for me.

I get sleep paralysis no matter what position I sleep in. So I just end up rolling around all night until I finally drop off.

I tend to sleep on my side, just because I find that comfortable. If I'm really tired I think I can conk out any which way.

I love sleeping on my stomach. I realized with this sleeping position with my arms underneath me, they tend to fall asleep/numb which is really annoying. So I figured out a way how to avoid that by making my wrists rest on each other underneath the pillow on their sides (not the muscle, but the bone itself). It worked quite well and managed to fall asleep easily this way. Nicer effect is the pillow with my forearms underneath is flexible this way.

I can see how it can be suffocating with the pillow closer to your airways, however with that method I mentioned above, my arms holds down the sides of the pillow as the wrists meet underneath it, it helps a lot.

I do find myself waking up on my sides though.

Yup, I meant the fetal position :P

As nice as sleeping on my stomach feels, I know down the line my lower back (or anyones) won't be too pleased so I only give in to that pleasure a few minutes at a time when I'm awake. I usually start on my back but the brunt of my sleeping is "curled up in a ball," the fetal position, whatever you want to call it. It's the best position to preserve your back and not wake up with any sort of aches.

Haha, only me and Summonmaster chose the "ball" option.

I start sleeping on my back and then move to my side right when things start getting comfortable.

Nothing feels better than waking up on your side. Well, at least for me that is.

The position i fall asleep in varies but i always wake up on my back. I guess when i'm sleeping i just turn to lay on my back without waking up but there have been a few times i wake up still on the position i fell asleep in b/c my arm will be asleep or my shoulder is hurting. I normally remember my dreams btw :P

I have the hardest time deciding on any position to sleep... I guess I suffer from insomnia or w/e.. I can't go to sleep early because I wont fall asleep, if I go to sleep to late.. I will wake up the next day with all these aches!

Lately I've had a worse time trying to get to bed because I think my bed is becoming uncomfortable... I'll roll around for a good 20 - 30 mins with the fan on trying to figure out a way to sleep...

Usually end up sleeping on my side, then on my stomach... Then waking up in the morning on my back!

(Also: Anyone else have a problem when they sleep on a certain side, the ear on the side you're sleeping on becomes plugged?.. I've had this ever since I was a child... And don't you just hate it in the morning when your hair hurts?... MY GOD Its like you gotta be bald to have a goodnight sleep..)

I have no idea what position I am when I fall asleep but I sure as heck always seem to wake up sleeping on my stomach.

I remember when I was younger I would wake up with the quilt all over the place and my head arched back in the most weirdest of angles.

I roll around a lot when I sleep, so whatever position I fall asleep in isn't the way I wake up and probably isn't the way I slept most of the night. Allergies are a factor, as well. If my head is congested, I'll try to sleep on my side or face down to keep sinus drainage from affecting my airways in the morning.

The only time sleeping position has made a difference for me was when I was going through a bad flare of Ulcerative Colitis. Sleeping on my side was enough to cause me to wake up the next morning with severe inflammation in my knees--enough so that I couldn't walk for five hours.

Whenever I lie down in bed I usually start out by lying on my right side -- it's almost like a natural position for me, although I usually end up sleeping on my stomach. I can't really fall asleep on my back unless I'm really tired (as in the "lie-down-and-instantly-fall-asleep" kind of tired) because I don't find it entirely comfortable, what with my occasional breathing difficulties and such.

:confused: Wow, that's really weird. I've never in my life heard of someone's hair hurting. Well, unless you're pulling it. How does that happen? Please enlighten. I must understand!!

If you sleep on it wrong the roots can start to hurt pretty bad. I've had it happen a few times when I wind up waking up on my stomach and my head has been grinding against the pillow for the past who knows how many hours.

Oh god, and then you touch it and it hurts even more ugh.

Huh...that's just so crazy to me. I've woken up with really bad arm cramps, but hair cramps...not so much.

You must have a very sensitive scalp. Is it a long hair thing? My hair is pretty short.

The fascinating world of hair cramps.

Depends on how much you move your head at night. I get similar root pains if I compulsively tug on my beard too much, which is why I generally don't wear a beard anymore.

I used to hate sleeping on my back, I could never get comfortable, and up until last year, when I had to have intestinal surgery, I had to sleep on my back for 2 months. IT sucked, but I got used to it.

But now I sleep on my stomach almost all the time, or I will roll on my left side, both are the easiest for me to sleep in. Basicall the only comfortable way for me to sleep.

I fall asleep on my stomach or in some sort of comfy ball with the blankets wrapped around me. (so warm) And somehow wake up on my back.

Its not really your hair that hurts though guy, just seems that way. It definitely happened to me a ton more when I had long hair though.

Well I voted side, then when I really thought about it I realized that i usually end up falling over on to my stomach. I've never heard about problems that could occur because of it thought. Maybe I should try to change.

But if it were really that big of a problem don't you think that it would be more wide spread, like tought in school or something? If it's just something you hear in passing then it can't be that threatening.

I either sleep on my right side or my stomach, not the left though, just can't seem to get comfortable on my left side. I would sleep on my back more often if I could get some decent pillows that supported my head/neck more.

I've also had "hair aches" too. I thought that it was just me being stupid, glad to know that other people have this problem too. Not had it for a while, not since I have been keeping my hair short.

Damnit. I would like to change my vote to "ball".

I didn't catch it at first.

I'm not sure I can just remove your vote, buddy. I can add a vote to the ball option and take off a vote for what you voted in, though. Me and my ball friend summonmaster need company afterall.

Any female balls?

When I do sleep, I usually sleep in a ball. Ever since I moved however, I've been sleeping on my stomach. Dunno why.

One female ball over here.

I think I prefer this position due to my pesky scoleosis. Any other position (especially on the stomach) is uncomfortable.

Haha,
Well not really I dont have a sensitive scalp, I usually have short hair as well.... I am not quite sure how it happens. It's usually either the right side of my head, or the back of my head.. I end up sleeping on either those two sides..

It's like when you start combing your hair the wrong way and you keep doing it, you notice that little pain after awihle?... Well it's like that in the morning, only your don't notice it until you actually comb or scratch your head. (I dont know about everyone else, the first thing I do in the morning is yawn, scratch my head, and literally roll out of bed.. *THUMP*)

For some reason, I need to turn onto my left side, then to my right side, before I fall asleep. I can only sleep on the side as well.

I just fall asleep, I dont really need to be in any specific position. Lately I've just been falling face first onto my bed and falling asleep because I'm overexhausted and haven't been getting enough sleep. Last night was a bit odd, though, and I shifted into a position causing my back to hurt for the remainder of the day.

Normally I sleep on a couch, so I lay on my back with my leg over the back.
Within about 15 minutes however I lay on my side.

I never remember what position I wake up in though.

On my side, curled up like a ball. Of course, I tend to toss and turn a lot, so which side I end up sleeping on is not important.

I can't sleep on my stomach. I've tried, but it just feels uncomfortable.

I voted my back, but I love to sleep on my side and especially my stomach as well. A lot of people seem to dislike sleeping on their stomachs, but I find it very comfortable for some reason.

^Sleeping on your stomach is bad for your back(spine) plus you have all that pressure going up against your tummy when you exhale. People with back problems know that sleeping on your back = friend, and stomach = no no lol. I can't sleep on my stomach because I'll have intense back pain. Either my sides or my back.

Also you shouldn't get out of bed like you're doing a sit up. Roll to your side and get out of bed that way.

I usually sleep on my sides or back. I can rarely ever sleep on my stomach. It starts making me feel sick for some reason.

Im not sure about the different effects sleeping in certain positions has on your body. I've never really read into any of them. Seems like a neat thing to read up on though.

Why? I don't see how this is bad, I'm sure the side is easier, but is it just hard on your back after not moving for so long or something?

I'd say 70% stomach 29% side 1% back.

I sleep on my side when I wake up with a woody because it hurts sleeping on my stomach with one for obvious reasons. I sleep on my back randomly and very seldomly. Usually when for whatever reason nothing else is feeling comfortable at the time.

Most of the time it is my stomach. Nothing feels better than plopping down that way and just passing out.