Osteopath in Paris, France

The best position to adopt to sleep well is the usual comfortable position in which you sleep most often!

You just have to adapt it in case of chronic pain , for example:

IN CASE OF LOWER BACK PAIN:

• If you sleep on your side: you can put a pillow between your knees so that they don't touch each other. Why ? To avoid tilting from one knee to the other, which could cause the pelvis to tilt and the lower back to rotate.

• If you sleep on your back: you can put one or more pillows under your legs to elevate them . Why ? This will make it possible to limit lumbar extension (arch), the most restricted movement in terms of amplitude for these vertebrae. This advice will also be very useful in the case of sciatica and hernias.

• If you sleep on your stomach : putting a pillow under your stomach risks compressing the viscera and the diaphragm, I recommend that you do nothing in this case, chronic low back pain is not very painful in this position.

IN CASE OF NECK AND BACK PAIN:

• If you sleep on the side: be careful to avoid head tilts , for example: if you sleep on the left side with a pillow that is too flat, your head will be tilted to the left and your cervical can move to the right and create what commonly called a “torticollis” . Ergonomic and memory foam pillows with a dimple can create this tilting neck posture and cause this type of pain.

• If you sleep on your stomach: with your head turned to the side, be careful not to have a pillow that is too thick, which creates cervical extension and compresses the nerve roots to radiate the upper limbs.

• If you sleep on your back: make sure you have a pillow that will allow you to keep your head in line with the cervical spine. A pillow that is too thick can create flexion and tilt your head too far forward, which will not help your breathing and may make you snore.

BUT IS SLEEPING ON YOUR STOMACH REALLY THE WORST POSITION?

NOPE ! For my part (and that of many patients), I have always slept on my stomach and until today (knock on wood) I have never had any problems or lower back pain.

Sleep in your usual comfortable position!

If someone advises you of a position other than the one in which you have ALWAYS slept, it will disturb you during your sleep and you will turn in all directions.

WHAT IS THE BEST PILLOW?

Having tested about forty different pillows, the most comfortable pillows are the most basic (feathered) pillows . For firmness, I recommend semi-firm pillows , they must fill the space between your head, your neck and your mattress (your head must remain straight) when you are on your side.

WHAT IS THE BEST MATTRESS?

I recommend from experience and from patient feedback to opt for a mattress made up of springs in sachets, but test it first! It should be neither too hard nor too soft but semi-firm.

In summary: sleep in your usual comfortable position but adapt it in case of pain with the help of these tips.

In case of questions or hesitations, you can contact me using the appointment tab by clicking here