| 22 August 2010
As a chiropractor, patients often ask me, what is the best position to sleep in? The answer is simple, sleep in a position that allows your spine to rest in its natural position. The natural position of the spine can be different for some people, especially those that suffer from scoliosis. For most people, your spine has natural curves in it when viewed from the side and appears straight when viewed from behind. The curves of the spine need to be supported properly when sleeping. Lets address the posture of the neck first. When lying on your back, your pillow should be primarily under your neck with only a little under your head. The idea here is to maintain the natural c-shaped curve in your cervical spine. If the bulk of the pillow is under your head then the curve is 
straightened or reduced. This causes the muscles in the neck that attach to the back of the head to contract all night and can lead to headaches. Lying on your side requires that there is enough support under your head and neck to allow the neck to stay lined up with the rest of the spine. In a situation where the pillow is too large in the side lying position the muscle on the pillow side of the neck will be under constant stretch and the muscles on the opposite side will be in a contracted or shortened state. This can cause chronic tension in the neck that is usually worse in the morning, inability to move your neck easily in all directions, headaches and neck pain. The lower back must be well supported at night as well in order to not wake up feeling stiff and inflexible. If you choose to lie on your back, placing a wedge under your knees will keep your lower back in a more neutral position. If you are a side sleeper, 
I recommend using a body pillow. This accomplishes two things, first it allows you to keep the pillow between your knees which prevents your low back from being twisted or rotated at night. Secondly, the body pillow is long enough to provide a comfortable place to rest your arm and shoulder as well. This helps maintain the proper alignment of the upper back and takes pressure of of your shoulders. For more information on sleeping posture or to get custom fitted for a pillow contact
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