Chances are that one thing about your sleep routine is pretty consistent. Even if your bedtime changes nightly, or you wake up at wildly different times each morning, there’s probably one position that’s your favorite for slumber.
Unfortunately, the position that you find most comfortable might end up causing health problems, ranging from aches to sleep apnea. Learn about the pros and cons of common ways to sleep, and discover easy tips on making each position a little bit better for you.
The most popular way to sleep is favored by more than 4 out of 10 people, especially among women, who are twice as likely as men to sleep curled up on their side.
For the most part, it’s a healthy way to doze, because it allows your spine to rest in its natural alignment. The fetal position might also help ward off conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s: Recent research on animals suggests that your brain does a better job of clearing waste that can lead to these neurological diseases when you’re sleeping on your side rather than on your back or stomach.
