Since you spend a third of your life in bed, your sleeping posture is important to get a restful night's sleep and minimize mechanical stress on the neck and spine. What's the best sleeping position and best pillow for you?

People sleep in 1 of 3 basic ways:

• On the side
• On the back
• On the stomach

Mechanical stress, in the form of poorly controlled motion and improper sleep posture, can permanently damage muscles and ligaments because of plastic deformation. Plastic deformation is a result of constant stretching of the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues of the neck. This can lead to pain and permanent joint damage (arthritis/DJD). For good health, mechanical stress on the neck and spine should be minimized.

Stomach sleeping

Sleeping on your stomach is very bad for the neck. If you sleep on your stomach you must keep your head turned to one side to breathe (unless you sleep on your chiropractor's table- NOT recommended!). The body works like a chain - a kinetic chain. Everything must work together. Spending a quarter to a third of your life with your neck and spine in a stressed position causes the body to adapt to that position. Over time, the neck and the supporting soft tissues will cause misalignments all the way down the spine, creating unbalanced motion and posture.

Back Sleeping

Sleeping on your back is good for people with military posture and some other BodyTypes. To reduce spinal stress, try putting a pillow under the knees. Also, a thin cervical support pillow will reduce neck and spine stress by supporting the neck and cradling the head while sleeping.

Side Sleeping

The best way for most of us to sleep is on our side. To reduce spinal stress, try putting a pillow between the knees. This will stop the top leg from falling in front of the body and twisting the pelvis. A thick cervical pillow will help to keep the head level with the center of the shoulders. If you aren’t sure if your head is drooping down or not, ask a friend to look at you from behind when you are lying on your side. If your head is bent up or down, you are stressing the neck.

Cervical Pillows

A cervical support pillow of a non-rebounding material is considered to be the most comfortable by people who have tried different types of pillows. There are many types on the market. If you can, try one before you buy it.