# A poll for people that sleep on their sides **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907 "2019-05-13T16:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/41 "2019-05-15T05:02:36Z")
Usually my arm is bent so my hand is in front of my shoulder, but if I’m cuddling with my partner I may need to move my arm to be behind me so it’s not in her face. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/42 "2019-05-15T07:30:28Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > What are these “head” and “leg” things of which you speak? Do Robot Arms get pins and needles when they wake up? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/43 "2019-05-15T12:28:53Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > … I never actually gave that much conscious thought to the exact position that I sleep in, so if I go to sleep tonight and discover I was wrong, I will probably feel compelled to update this thread again tomorrow. I voted wrong. I went to bed last night with my arm tucked under my head. Well, the upper arm, anyway. The end of the arm moved around from “mostly above my head” to “mostly in front of my face”. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Ducky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrs_ducky/32/6227_2.png) [@Mrs\_Ducky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Ducky)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/44 "2019-05-15T22:07:43Z")
Delete ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Ducky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrs_ducky/32/6227_2.png) [@Mrs\_Ducky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Ducky)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/45 "2019-05-15T22:12:31Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > When I’m on my left side, my arm is tucked under the pillow. On my right side, my forearm faces my face. I’ve tried arm tucked under on my right, or arm facing face on my left, and it’s very uncomfortable. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. This is me, too! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/46 "2019-05-16T12:50:46Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > If you sleep on your side, what do you do with your arm that is on the bed? Why on earth are you interested? My forearm faces my face, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/47 "2019-05-16T13:17:44Z")
Other. I “hug myself” when I sleep. So, my “lower” arm is wrapped around my upper body, my hand on my neck or opposite shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/48 "2019-05-16T13:26:24Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Why on earth are you interested? > > My forearm faces my face, BTW. Because I suffer from frequent shoulder pain and I want to see what works for other people. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/49 "2019-05-16T15:28:27Z")
On my right side, forearm across my chest, right hand straight up in the air, left arm drapes down over the right arm with my left hand resting on my right elbow. I could probably be kept awake indefinitely if held on my left side. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/50 "2019-05-16T15:33:59Z")
Both arms wrapped around a hugging pillow, shift to other side halfway through the night. Just saw an ad on tv for a pillow with a hole for the arm to go through, so it won’t get pins and needles for sleeping on it. Saw it while I was doing something else, so I didn’t get name of pillow, but maybe you can do a search for it. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/51 "2019-05-16T15:39:20Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Because I suffer from frequent shoulder pain and I want to see what works for other people. Ahh, thanks, makes sense. Hopefully you’ll find a comfortable solution. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/52 "2019-05-16T16:26:12Z")
Always under a side sleeper pillow to rest my head on, since I pinched nerves in both arms not using such a pillow. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/53 "2019-05-19T00:54:31Z")
If I’m on my left side, which is rare 'cause I don’t sleep well that direction, it is under my wife’s neck with my hand on her lower back/abdomen. More often I’m on my right side and I go fetal position with my arm curled so that my fist is under my chin. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/54 "2019-05-19T00:56:42Z")
You know? I’m not really all that sure. I always fall asleep on my back but wake up on my side, usually in pain. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/55 "2019-05-19T01:12:14Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Because I suffer from frequent shoulder pain and I want to see what works for other people. Science (or at least marketing) claims to have an answer for that: [https://www.medcline.com/medcline-lp-shoulder-relief-solution/](https://www.medcline.com/medcline-lp-shoulder-relief-solution/) I suspect there may be cheaper knockoffs. I don’t actually have one, but I also have the shoulder pain and have been considering it. (Also not sure if this is the same as the “side sleeper pillows” mentioned above). ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/56 "2019-05-20T20:59:16Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Because I suffer from frequent shoulder pain and I want to see what works for other people. God yes! I used to sleep with elbow straight up, under my head, then my hand almost touching my shoulder; but that has supposedly been the cause of my recent shoulder impingement that I’ve been going to physical therapy for. The shoulder impingement then caused tennis elbow type problems. I finally got blessed relief after a shot of cortisone in the shoulder, but over the last week it’s starting to come back. I’m fairly confident it’s the way I sleep that’s causing the problem; as my ‘good’ shoulder is starting to hurt in the mornings now too. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/57 "2019-05-20T21:02:46Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Science (or at least marketing) claims to have an answer for that: [https://www.medcline.com/medcline-lp-shoulder-relief-solution/](https://www.medcline.com/medcline-lp-shoulder-relief-solution/) I suspect there may be cheaper knockoffs. I don’t actually have one, but I also have the shoulder pain and have been considering it. (Also not sure if this is the same as the “side sleeper pillows” mentioned above). $238 seems like quite a bit for that funky pillow. I could probably learn to sleep on my back; but then I wake up with a sore back. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/58 "2019-05-20T21:33:05Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Science (or at least marketing) claims to have an answer for that: [https://www.medcline.com/medcline-lp-shoulder-relief-solution/](https://www.medcline.com/medcline-lp-shoulder-relief-solution/) I suspect there may be cheaper knockoffs. I don’t actually have one, but I also have the shoulder pain and have been considering it. (Also not sure if this is the same as the “side sleeper pillows” mentioned above). I’ve seen those and it looks like it might work (and help with reflux too) but I’m afraid that it would give me late onset scoliosis. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/59 "2019-05-20T21:59:30Z")
Left side, arm tucked under pillow. Right side, arm pointed down and out due to a shoulder injury. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907/60 "2019-05-20T22:38:30Z")
Depends on the side. Left - arm is across chest holding right shoulder. Right - arm is under pillow propped against headboard. For some reason my right arm is not comfortable doing what left arm does. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-for-people-that-sleep-on-their-sides/833907.md?page=4)