One of the greatest feelings in life is waking up in the middle of the night and realizing that you still have time to sleep. The average American spends about ⅓ of their lifetime sleeping. That is about 229,961 hours of lying on a bed. Our health is greatly affected by sleeping, and it is vital to keep proper sleeping posture. Poor sleep could potentially cause back and neck pain, muscle cramping, fatigue, heartburn, and even premature wrinkles. So, let us figure out the best sleeping position, plus the ones you may want to avoid.

The best sleeping position is by far laying on your back. Since you are not forcing any extra curves into your back, it makes it easy for your head, neck, and spine to maintain a neutral position, says Steven Diamant, a chiropractor in New York City. Dee Anna Glaser, MD, a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University notes, “It is also ideal for fighting acid reflux.” When the head is elevated, your stomach will be below your esophagus, stopping acid or food to surfacitize. Sleeping on your back also helps prevent wrinkles because nothing is pushed against your face.

Sleeping on the side is one of the more common sleeping positions. It reduces snoring and acidic refluxes and keeps the spine elongated. It is also the recommended sleeping position for pregnant women and causes an increase in the the amount of blood and nutrients that reach the placenta and the baby. However, some downfalls include permanent wrinkles due to the pressure exerted on one side of the face all night long. Even though sleeping on the side causes no spine contractions, oftentimes people are in danger of neck pain as a result of too many pillows to over-elevate the head. Due to these inconveniences, this position should be avoided.

The last sleeping position is sleeping on the stomach. Researchers have for long disagreed over its convenience. Because of the neck restraints that occur, many disapprove of this position. While many counter argue that most of the pressure is applied on the pillow, sleeping on your stomach will serve as an acceptable sleeping position. However, this is really the worst sleeping position, as it makes it extremely difficult to maintain a neutral position of your spine. It puts pressure on the muscles, as well as some of the joints, which can irritate nerves. Dr. Diamant, a specialist in gastroenterology explains, “Think about the soreness you would feel if you kept your neck turned to one side for 15 minutes during the day.” It definitely would not be comfortable. This position also results in wrinkles and an increase of pressure on the shoulders. For your health, this position should be avoided at all times.

Even though finding the best sleeping position is an important step in maintaining our health, keep in mind that during your eight hours of sleep, you twist and shift more than 21 times. Therefore, none of these positions are truly life threatening.