Stop Sleeping on Your Stomach - 7 Reasons Why

It’s pretty comfortable to sleep on the stomach yeah? You just want to enjoy life, be happy, and sleep on your stomach as you please. We can relate. But it’s bad for your health and here’s why;

1. Chest Compression: In this position, breathing becomes less efficient thereby leading to chest compressions. There isn’t sufficient oxygen all through your body, leading to fatigue. Not just that, soft tissues in the chest area also suffer from extra pressure and with time can develop congestion, cysts, or mastitis.

2. Stiff Spine: The muscles around the backbone can even become shorter owing to undue pressure on the spine, which can cause stiffness and aches.

3. Acid Reflux: You also make your stomach suffer by sleeping on it because in this position, you could develop acid reflux which can lead to ulcer. Also, Over time, the organs in our stomach stop functioning properly.

4. Backbone Arteries Constriction: According to Doctors the arteries near your backbone get constricted when you sleep on your tummy. This is because your head is turned to the side and as a result, blood flow to the brain is limited.

5. Joints Sprain: Sleeping on your stomach can cause the elbows, knees, and feet joints to twist in problematic ways leading to soreness and sprain.

6. Early Aging: When you sleep on your stomach, blood circulation under the facial skin is limited, due to the fact that your face is pressed against the pillow all through the night, and you risk several issues including; puffiness, aging (around the neck and chest), permanent wrinkles, etc.

7. Neck Sore: In this position, movement is confined and blood vessels and nerve endings are constricted in the area around the neck and shoulders. This can lead to irreversible damage. And there’s a high chance of you waking up with a stiff and sore neck. It is important to support the neck properly with a pillow.

There are a lot more issues with sleeping on your stomach that we cannot explore in this single article, but it’s best to avoid the position and explore other sleeping positions such as sleeping on your left side which reduces the symptoms of reflux making you feel less nausea and less discomfort. Though a taboo for pregnant women, sleeping on the right side is good for blood pressure and lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.