We sometimes hear that sleeping on your stomach is more comfortable for some people. 

According to SleepFoundation.org "The stomach is the least popular sleep position. Research suggests we spend less than 10% of our night sleeping in this position. Stomach sleeping does have some benefits, however. Namely, the stomach sleeping position can help relieve snoring, by opening up your airway. However, your ribs do have to work against gravity in order to breathe in this position, which may force you to use more energy and thereby make your sleep less restful.

What’s Wrong With Stomach Sleeping?

The stomach sleeping position comes with several drawbacks and is not recommended for most people. In particular, the following people should avoid sleeping on their stomachs:

  • Pregnant women
  • People with neck or back pain
  • People worried about wrinkles

The stomach position provides the least back support of all sleeping positions and increases pressure on the spine, sometimes causing pain upon waking up. In order to sleep on your stomach, you must sleep with your head facing one side, invariably twisting your neck and head out of alignment with the rest of your spine. If your mattress isn’t firm enough, your stomach and hips will sink into the mattress, uncomfortably stretching your spine out of alignment. This kind of asymmetrical sleep posture can negatively impact your spine over time. Also, sleeping on the stomach can contribute to facial wrinkles, since your face is pressed against the pillow or the surface of the mattress.

How to Sleep Better on Your Stomach

Without the right pillow and mattress, it’s easy for the stomach sleeping position to cause aches and pains. However, it is possible to sleep well in this position. If you enjoy sleeping on your stomach, try doing so with a very thin pillow, or no pillow at all. This way, you can avoid tilting your neck back and up, creating further spinal misalignment and discomfort. Place a thin pillow under your hips to further even out the spine and relieve pressure. A firm mattress can also prevent some of the spinal alignment issues that come from sleeping on your stomach.

The best sleep position for you is whichever sleep position enables you to enjoy a restful night of uninterrupted sleep and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, without any aches and pains. If that describes your current sleep position, don’t feel forced to change it. If you think a new position might make sleep more comfortable for you, though, go ahead and try another position. Be patient and use the strategies named to help yourself adjust to the new position.

Your sleep position plays a pivotal role in the quality of your sleep. Changing it up is just one of many strategies you can try for better sleep."