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.