We see you coming and smiling, dear night rebels, so let's immediately confirm the subject of this article as well as its title: it is indeed about discovering the best positions for sleeping! No sex here, even if sex to help find sleep is certainly an interesting topic for a future article. Here, Sleep Hackademy and its experts offer you to learn more about the consequences of a bad sleeping position, but also to discover how finding a suitable position allows you to sleep better.

No question of serving you a tall tale because, anyway, that is not the best position for sleeping (you probably guessed it). Our sleep experts have focused on facts and concrete information, whether it is to find the best position for sleeping alone or... the ideal positions for sleeping as a couple (with, as a bonus, their hidden meanings!)

So, dear night rebels who have difficulty finding an optimal position for good sleep, what follows is for you.

Good and bad sleeping positions: what are the differences?

A small cultural reference that those under 30 may not catch (thanks in advance to Google for the search): do you know the "difference between a good and a bad hunter"? Congratulations to those who "recognized" this allusion to a famous trio of comedians. For the others, let's get back to the point. Have you ever noticed that each of us has OUR preferred sleeping position? That almost instinctive and reassuring position that we rush to adopt when bedtime has come. And yet, it may not be the right one. At least if you have trouble falling asleep, suffer from insomnia, or, by chance, are victims of certain conditions not usually associated with sleep, such as back pain or neck pain.

What factors should be considered to choose the right sleeping position?

Not all sleeping positions are equal. Sleeping on your back is not the same as sleeping on your stomach or sleeping on your side. However, among these most common sleeping positions, each has its advantages and disadvantages. In reality, beyond each sleeper's personal preference, it is also important to consider factors sometimes external to sleep itself before choosing the optimal sleeping position, as noted by Dr. Rachel Salas (Professor of Neurology at the Howard County General Hospital Sleep Lab in Columbia, specializing in sleep disorders): "We can say that some positions are better than others. For young and healthy people, sleeping position is less important. However, as we age and experience more health problems, sleeping position can become positive or negative." Here are some key factors¹ in choosing a suitable sleeping position:

• Age: as we age, we lose flexibility in the spine and respiratory problems may appear. Sleeping on the stomach is therefore to be avoided
• Snoring and sleep apnea: these are notably caused by narrowing of the airways. Studies² report that it is therefore preferable not to sleep on the back for people suffering from these sleep disorders.
• Heartburn or acid reflux: these are physically favored by sleeping on the right side, which is better avoided in favor of the left side, according to a study³
• Marks on the face or wrinkles: here, it is not so much a medical reason as a matter of comfort upon waking and appearance. A distorted face with some nice marks upon waking because you slept on your stomach can be scary when you first look in the mirror or, worse, frighten those who live with you (okay, maybe we exaggerate a bit, or maybe not!).

What is a bad sleeping position?

In summary, one could simply answer that it is a position that prevents you from sleeping well or having restorative sleep, which is not wrong, as they say. However, as mentioned earlier, a bad sleeping position is one that will favor the symptoms of a pathology or a sleep disorder from which the sleeper may suffer, and which is likely to worsen them. So, it is better to choose the position that respects your body's needs, even if it is not your natural preferred position.

Let's tell you right away, sleeping on your stomach is not recommended. Poor alignment between the back and head, harmful for breathing or acid reflux, the stomach sleeping position also leaves us with nice marks on the face and... would promote the appearance of wrinkles. Consider yourself warned!

Beware upon waking for fans of stomach sleeping!

So, what are the top positions for good sleep? Discover our ranking as well as some hacking tips to put your body in good sleeping conditions and... in the right alignment!

The best sleeping positions, alone or as a couple

You probably know, dear night rebels, that when sleeping with two (or more), the bed can quickly turn into a battlefield over positioning supremacy or various nuisances. Research⁴ has even revealed nearly 50% more sleep disorders in couples compared to solo sleepers! Sleeping alone is therefore not quite the same as sleeping as a couple. Nevertheless, good sleeping positions exist just as well separately, for independents, as in "close contact" mode, for lovers who are fused even in the arms of Morpheus. No excuse then not to find the right one!

To each their position!

Scientists⁵ agree that the side sleeping position is the most popular, winning nearly 60% of votes among sleepers! Several trends emerge from these studies:

• Men spend more time sleeping on their side than women
• Children spend on average as much time in each of the main sleeping positions
• As we age, we favor the side sleeping position: more comfortable for the back and breathing

But then, concretely, what corresponds to the best sleeping position? It is actually the position that best takes into account the constraints related to your health and body needs, but also respects a fundamental aspect, a kind of golden ratio of nighttime positioning: a healthy alignment of the spine with the hips and head. Knowing this, it is easy to understand that 2 or even 3 positions should be favored in most cases, and one should be avoided. Any idea?

Let's not keep you in suspense any longer, dear night rebels. Here is the top best sleeping positions, accompanied by their tips:

1. Sleeping on the side: ideal for relieving the back, avoiding acid reflux and heartburn (on the left side) and reducing snoring or sleep apnea (remember to raise your pillow, memory foam if possible, to keep the neck aligned with the rest of the body).
2. Sleeping on the back: the "soldier position" is the one that best preserves the famous alignment, especially of the neck (prefer a firm mattress to limit spinal curvature). However, this position is not recommended in case of snoring or sleep apnea.
3. Sleeping in the fetal position: like a baby in its mother's womb, yet this position is not ideal for breathing (compressed chest) nor for the neck (raising the pillow is also recommended here). However, it is beneficial for back pain.

Positions for sleeping as a couple: what they reveal about you!

Tell us how you sleep, and we will tell you how you love. That could be the motto adapted to the different positions for sleeping as a couple. However, rest assured, there is no bad sleeping position for two. It's like at the funfair, everyone is a winner!

In reality, the body language inherent to sleeping as a couple simply reveals what the relationship between the two parties may be. The couple's sleeping position would therefore reveal certain aspects of the romantic relationship, as explained by Isabelle Duvernois, clinical psychologist and author of Decoding Body Language (Larousse editions): "Non-verbal language is much more explicit. We control ourselves less, it encourages regression. Intimate, archaic things are played out there, like the need for affection...".

Moreover, psychologist Corinne Sweet conducted a very interesting study a few years ago, cataloging the different positions adopted by a sample of 1000 couples, highlighting a trend through a ranking as well as an interpretation of what each position represents in relation to the couple's relationship. Curious to know what your sleeping position as a couple means? We understand you! So, here is the top 6 positions for sleeping as a couple and their meanings:

1. Sleeping back to back, each on their side and without touching: adopted by 27% of couples in the study, this position would reveal "connected and self-assured couples, this position shows both closeness and independence in the relationship"
2. Sleeping back to back but close to each other: it represents 23% of couples, more in "fusion" than the no-contact version, and suggests "a need for physical contact during the falling asleep phase, then sleeping separately for more comfort"
3. Sleeping in the spooning position: one behind the other, this position is used by 18% of couples, revealing a "very protective attitude"
4. Sleeping in the lovers' position: face to face and intertwined, its name says it all (closeness, attention to the other, need for tenderness) but it is favored by only 4% of couples due to... its discomfort. Love yes, but not at any cost!
5. Sleeping on the stomach: by one or both, it is a sign "that one seeks comfort above all and this may not pose any problem to the partner", but also, beware, "a desire to hide one's intimacy and avoid any sexual relationship". To be put into context for interpretation, of course!
6. The woman sleeps in the man's arms: a classic movie image, representing only 1% of couples, this position is demonstrative and denotes a "search for attention or comfort". However, it is difficult to maintain all night, you will agree!

A couple's sleeping position can be revealing of the nature of a relationship, but let's not fool ourselves, dear night rebels: a couple's good health also depends on restorative nights for each! By adopting a comfortable sleeping position, one willingly wakes up feeling fit and in a good mood. Thus, everyone will find a good night at their door by adopting THEIR suitable sleeping position, while respecting their own sleep needs and those of their partner, needless to say.

In the land of lovers, the bed war will not take place!

Sources :

[1] Choosing the best sleep position, site "John Hopkins Medicine", 2021 [2] The undervalued potential of positional therapy in position-dependent snoring and obstructive sleep apnea-a review of the literature, M.J.L. Ravesloot, J.P. van Maanen et al, "Sleep and Breathing", 2013 [3] Influence of spontaneous sleep positions on nighttime recumbent reflux in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, R.M. Khoury, L. Camacho-Lobato et al, "The Amercican Journal of Gastroenterology", 1999 [4] Exploring the Interdependence of Couples' Rest-Wake Cycles: An Actigraphic Study, Robert Meadows, Susan Venn et al, "Chronobiology International", 2009 [5] Sleep positions and nocturnal body movements based on free-living accelerometer recordings: association with demographics, lifestyle, and insomnia symptoms, Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno, Paul Jarle Mork et al, "Nature and DScience of Sleep", 2017