Are you sleeping correctly?
“You’d think that after this many years of sleeping, I could find a comfortable position.” It’s a funny meme but a serious issue, especially for hard training athletes in need of a good night’s sleep.
For something that comes so naturally, sleep can be a tricky thing. That’s why wow we sleep is as important as how long we sleep.
Whether it’s the back, side, or stomach, we tend to fall asleep in the position we find the most comfortable. But your favorite sleeping position could be leading to significant declines in athletic performance.
We talk a lot about proper positioning in the gym. Attention to proper position keeps us injury free in the gym. So why shouldn’t we be as concerned with the positions we recover in.
Night after night, sleeping in the same position can lead to imbalances. Sleeping on your side can cause imbalances with the hips. Sleeping on your stomach can result in neck and lower back pain. Sleeping on your arm can lead to shoulder issues.
When it coms to the best position to sleep, sleeping on your side and sleeping on your back are the two approved methods of sleeping recommended by the American Chiropractic Association. However you sleep, the ACA recommends you sleep on a firm mattress unless it feels better for your back to sleep on a softer mattress.
Ample amounts of deep sleep can increase performance, increase lean body mass, decrease cortisol, increase libido, and reduce instances of sickness. So get to bed!