Stomach sleeping works with gravity because it pulls the tongue and soft tissue forward, eliminating airway obstructions and lessening the likelihood of snoring. Next on the list in third place is prone (stomach) sleeping. Sleep Position #3: Prone (Stomach) Sleeping You may find that this is a healthier and more pleasant alternative.

Another option is to consider putting a pillow between your knees to allow for additional comfort and good back and neck support. If you prefer to sleep in the fetal position, consider staying on your side but stretching out a little bit. It’s not a threat to sleep apnea, but it can create other issues with your neck or back especially as you get older. One of the right-side sleeping variants, the fetal position, is actually the most popular sleeping position for Americans. If you struggle with acid reflux, talk to your doctor before sleeping on your right side. However, a study has found that right-side sleeping can aggravate symptoms of reflux because it can relax the lower esophageal sphincter. Right-side sleeping is a good choice as it reduces the likelihood of snoring and promotes good air and blood flow throughout the body. Right or left side side-sleeping actually makes a difference if you have sleep apnea. One thing worth noting about this position is that people who have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure should check with their doctors before choosing this sleep position because left-side sleeping is generally discouraged for them as it can cause discomfort or add unnecessary stress on the heart. And with a little will-power, you can make it happen. If you want to become a left-side sleeper, start by finding a good, firm pillow that can support your neck and back. Specifically, sleeping on your left side is highly recommended because it allows for the best blood flow and creates little to no resistance for breathing conditions. For those reasons, left-side sleeping takes the gold. And since the quality of sleep is as important as the quantity of sleep, it’s crucial to choose a sleep position that allows for our best possible rest. You can’t go wrong with side sleeping in general, according to the Sleep Better Council because it helps alleviate issues like insomnia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can both contribute negatively to sleep apnea. If after trying different ways to adjust your sleeping position you are still not able to adapt or get used to it, there are other alternatives to CPAP therapy that may end up working best for managing your sleep apnea without compromising your preferred sleeping position.īut, do you know which sleeping position is best for those with sleep apnea? Read on below as we rank them, starting from the most to the least ideal. If you do take a sleep study test, and it shows that you have one of the three types of sleep apnea, you may need to work with your body to adapt your sleeping position to the one that’s best for your breathing during sleep. This is because the different parts of your body that regulate your breathing while you sleep are positioned contingent on how you lay in bed (e.g.: your mouth being inadvertently covered by your pillow if you sleep on your stomach). But what you may not know is that regardless of if you have mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea, there is actually such a thing as the best position to sleep in. You probably have always had a preferred sleeping position-whether it’s on your stomach, back, or side.

īelieve it or not, your sleep position has a huge impact on how you breathe, and your favorite sleep position can actually improve or exacerbate your sleep apnea. We probably think of our sleep position simply as a preference or a decision that improves our comfort. That said, most of us probably haven’t given much thought to how our sleep position affects our health or our body over time. Many people need only a soft pillow and their favorite sleeping position to fall asleep in seconds. We all have a favorite sleep position-the way we feel most comfortable and let our body sink into sleep.

Best position to sleep