I used to always sleep on my stomach, scooched all the way down to the end of the matress so my toes could hang off. After a couple of surgeries I wasn’t able to lie on my stomach any more so I mainly side sleep. I wake up on my back a lot. Flat on my back is uncomfortable, but I have a couple of pillows I prop under my legs. I end up propping myself with pillows regardless of my position any more. One light blanket, lots of pillows.
Another thing against back sleeping - I can’t stand the blankets bending my toes down. I have to have the bottom of the blanket loose so I can stick my toes out
I prefer to fall asleep on my side, and for years could not fall asleep on my back. I went through a time where I had back and neck pain, however, and during that time I trained myself to sleep flat on my back because it improved my pain so much. It only took a few uncomfortable nights to get used to it.
It is the sleep position recommended by health professionals.
I came in here to post what capybara said. I’ve managed to fall asleep on my back twice that I can remember, and woke up with sleep paralysis both times.
I’m actually a little afraid of falling asleep on my back – I have this weird fear that I won’t be able to breathe throughout the night… or any length of time. really. When I got my wisdom teeth pulled in college, I was sincerely praying that the dentist would not decide to put me out completely for that reason – that would lead to me sleeping on my back. Fortunately, he only did a local.
I always fall asleep on my stomach and find it awkward to try to fall asleep on my back. However, when I wake up in the morning I always find myself on my back.
In my life, I’ve probably spent a total of 60 nights in the hospital (not counting the nights I’ve spent in the ER; you can’t get any sleep in there, no matter what!), and the worst thing is that there’s no choice but to sleep on your back! Oh, sure, you can have nurses bring you pillows to tuck in behind your back on one side or another so you’re sort of up on one side, but back-sleeping is what it is. And even with morphine and a sleeping pill, I’m no damned good at it!
At home, I vacillate between sleeping on my stomach and on my side.
I used to sleep on my back, but I got used to sleeping on my side during pregnancies (I seem to remember being told to sleep on my left side, for some reason) and then I would sleep on my side curled around an infant while they were still waking in the night to feed. Yes, I know…but all three of mine are healthy and hearty, and as tall as me. Of course, with my RA, I turn from side to side all night long, because the joints bitch at me if I stay in one position too long.
I used to always sleep on my side, until I got a CPAP. Now turning sideways presses on the mask, which is uncomfortable, while sleeping on my back gets me more air than I used to get.
I almost never can fall asleep on my back. Something feels very strange about my lower legs and knees (I can’t articulate it any better than saying it’s a sensation of them feeling “loose”) that creeps me out. I fall asleep on my belly only after I’ve woken up and rolled over onto it.
So I sleep on my sides, though I can’t really tell if I favor one over the other. A few people in the thread have wondered how we can: sleeping with a stuffed animal keeps my arms comfortably apart. I used a pillow when other people might see me sleeping, though.
As a youth I rationalized that sleeping on my back was the way to go (I was into survival-style camping etc. and sleeping on one’s back is the most efficient way to retain heat; also, often the only way to sleep in the bush). So I made a concerted effort to learn the skill and got it.
Sleeping on my back is the most comfortable and least straining position - no back or neck ache, no limbs fallen asleep etc. Unfortunately I’ve started to experience sleep terrors (some sort of sleep paralysis?) when I fall asleep on my back and now have to sleep on my side.
I usually sleep on my side and never deliberately fall asleep on my back. However if I lay down on my back to “rest for a minute” when I am absolutely exhausted I sometimes doze off. So if ever I am asleep on my back I am fully clothed.
I usually toss and turn a bit from side to side, but ultimately, my back is the only place I’m comfortable.
I will NEVER understand how people can sleep on their sides! The shoulder you rest on gets squashed and pushed into weird angles. The top leg feels out of joint, like it shouldn’t bend that way. I can curl up on my side, but only with my down shoulder pushed behind me somehow, and I worry that my shoulder will pop out of joint if I fall asleep that way.
I remember an old mattress commercial which showed how side sleeping throws the body out of alignement - I couldn’t agree more.
I had always assumed that animals evolved to be less inclined to sleep on their backs because it leaves vital organs vulnerable, apparently that isn’t true. When I’m very tired I can fall asleep in a lot of odd contortions, but in general on my stomach. Unless, of course, in homage to the previous thread, I am spooning.
