Beware of "free fall"! The best and worst sleeping positions

A team of experts revealed the best and worst sleeping positions, in celebration of World Sleep Day, March 15, 2024. 

Adam Hirst, head of digital at Woolroom, said: “If you regularly wake up with aches and pains, or if you find that you frequently have a restless night's sleep, poor sleeping posture could be to blame.

There is a clear difference between a comfortable sleeping position and a healthy sleeping position. "When we sleep in a bad position, we can get used to it over time, so we think it's the best position for sleeping," Hirst explained.

There are 6 main sleeping positions, which experts have called: "fetal" position, "tree trunk" position, "soldier" position, "starfish" position, "general" position, and "free fall".

If you are in the "tree trunk" position, you will sleep on your side with your arms and legs extended in line with your body, while the "general" sleeping position involves lying on your side with your arms extended in front of you.

People sleep on their backs in the “soldier” position, while the “starfish” position involves sleeping on the back with the hands extended above the head.

It is called the “fetal” position because people sleep on their sides with a pillow between their legs, just as a fetus is in its mother’s belly, and people sleep in the “free fall” position on their stomachs with their arms wrapped around the pillow.

Speaking to MailOnline, Lisa Artis, deputy chief executive at The Sleep Charity, explained that all of these positions are 'good' except for 'free fall'.

She explained: “It is okay to sleep on your back or side, but we suggest avoiding sleeping on your stomach because it puts a lot of pressure on your neck as it is permanently twisted throughout the night.”

Martin Sealy, sleep expert at Mattress NextDay, emphasized that sleeping on the stomach is bad, and stressed that sleeping on the back is not the best option for people who suffer from snoring. He said: “Sleeping on your side is considered the best position. It can help improve blood circulation and digestion, and it also opens the airways to facilitate breathing, which means reducing the chances of snoring.”

“A good bed can make a big difference in your sleep,” Artis said. “Did you know that your head weighs 4.5-5.5 kg, and that your neck contains seven of the 33 vertebrae in your spine?” Neck pain, stiffness, and even constant headaches can be a problem. Simply as a result of poor pillow support while sleeping in bed.”

She continued, "A good pillow should hold your head in the correct alignment. One that is too soft will allow the head to flop as the neck arches."