Sleeping Position

Hi, Dr. Jensen, here at Inner Health Chiropractic with your daily healthy spine tips!
I get a lot of questions daily about sleeping position. I recommend sleeping on your side in a fetal position with you head in a neutral position or on your back with your head in a neutral position. Never on your stomach. Your head should be level between your shoulders when on your side and level with your shoulders when yon your back.

Measure the space between the base of your neck out to the tip of your shoulder and that’s approximatiely how high your pillow shoud be when you are on your side. When on your back your head should be neutral and not angled up or flexed forward. Using more than one pillow can raise your head up causing it to hyper flex forward and that can cause alot of neck tension at the base fo the skull as well as headaches.

I also recommend a pillow between your knees if your are a side sleeper using a standard size pillow. Using the pillow raises your knees and removes stress on your hip and lower back. If you are a back sleeper , you can place a pillow under your knees which also helps remove tension across your lower back. As always, consult your physician if you have any questions, concerns or physical limitations to avoid injury.