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Poor Sleeping Posture Is Ruining Your Health
It’s well known that too many sleepless nights negatively affect your health, but even good sleepers can suffer the consequences of poor sleep posture.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, poor sleep has become a public health problem. The CDC estimates that between 50-70 million Americans have a sleep or wakefulness disorder. More than a third of Americans sleep seven hours or less per night.
Sleep posture can have a big impact on the quality of sleep men and women enjoy. Poor sleep posture has been linked to many health issues, including acid reflux, sleep apnea, snoring, and sagging skin and wrinkles. Adopting better sleep posture can help people enjoy better rest and better health.
Three Main Sleeping Positions
The three most common sleeping positions are: back, side and stomach. Within those three categories, there are a number of other positions.
• Sleeping on your back has been found to be helpful in reducing acid reflux and minimizing wrinkles. Sleeping in the starfish position – on your back with your arms up and out – has been found to be helpful for reducing back pain and fighting wrinkles. However, people who sleep on their backs may encounter lower back pain and sleep apnea, a major sleep disorder. Sleeping on your back with a pillow that minimizes wrinkles by reducing friction between the face and pillow can further help people interested in maintaining a youthful appearance.
• Sleep specialists say that sleeping on your side is a good way to ensure sleep quality and health because it can help alleviate pressure on the neck and back. It’s also been found to reduce snoring, a perk that many people and their partners will be thankful for. On the downside, sleeping on your side can restrict blood flow and increase pressure on nerves in the arms and shoulders if you sleep with your arms out. It can also lead to the formation of sleep wrinkles, a special type of face wrinkle created by repeated contact with a pillow surface. Even soft pillows or pillowcases made of silk or satin can contribute to sleep wrinkle formation because facial skin is still pushed, pulled and stretched across the pillow surface.
• People who sleep on their stomachs are prone to increased restlessness, as well as neck and lower back pain. Sleep experts say sleeping on your stomach is the worst sleep position, as it does not support the natural curve of the spine and can cause chronic neck pain.
Improving Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep habits are referred to as “sleep hygiene”. In addition to adopting good sleep posture, people can enjoy a better rest using one or more of these proven techniques:
• Avoiding nicotine, caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.
• Going to bed and getting up at the same times each day.
• Avoiding large meals or late-night snacking before bedtime.
• Turning the room temperature down. Most people sleep better when it’s cooler.
• Avoid falling asleep with a TV on. The blue light emitted from the television can disrupt deep sleep.
• Get a white noise machine or download a sleep sound app to your smartphone or tablet.
• Get a sleep mask designed to block out sound and light.
JuveRest offers an ingenious solution for people seeking a natural, easy way to get a good night’s sleep AND fight wrinkles at the same time. The JuveRest pillow is specially contoured to support the head and neck during sleep and to promote optimal sleep position. The pillow is also designed to minimize facial contact, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Try JuveRest tonight to sleep better and look better.