There are a few days a year when things get really competitive at Alba:
Best Pumpkin at Halloween. Best Gingerbread House at Christmas.
But there’s always heated debate over “who can perform the best pancake flip”
Top tip: It’s all in the wrist.
But if you value your posture and spinal health, pancakes aren’t the only thing in your life that need to be flat.
It’ll come as no surprise that the way we sleep has an incredible impact on how we feel when we’re awake.
Not only has a lack of sleep been proven to increase the risk of serious diseases including heart disease and depression – the WAY we sleep can be a major factor in back pain, neck pain, and other injuries or ailments we sustain while we’re awake.
And when you consider we spend nearly a third of our life asleep, it shouldn’t come as a shock that a great sleeping position is vital to a healthy spine.
So how do we sleep right?
First off, we want to remember “flat as a pancake”.
Sleeping flat on your back helps keep your spine aligned and allows your body to form a natural curve.
To help your body with this, we can use small pillows under our knees, head, and lower back, to support our spine’s curvature as we sleep.
Secondly, if you’re going to sleep on your side, do it right.
Research surveys have found that the majority of people often sleep on their side.
While I’d always recommend sleeping flat on your back where possible, I also understand some people simply find this uncomfortable.
So if you do sleep on your side, there are a couple of things you can do to protect your posture:
#1. Stay straight – Focus on keeping your body as straight as possible, and avoid twisting or bringing your knees up in front of you. Using a small cushion between your knees can help with this.
#2. Arms front – Although it can be tempting to ‘hug your pillow’ in this side sleeping position, doing so can put unnecessary stress on your shoulders, neck, and spine. Instead, aim to keep your arms out in front of you.
If you struggle to get to sleep in a healthy position, or because of pain, popping a couple of paracetamol before bed isn’t the answer.
It might help for now, but it’s only addressing the symptom, not the root cause.
Regular adjustments could provide you with the relief, flexibility, and posture you need to support a fantastic night’s sleep, so you wake up every morning feeling refreshed.
To arrange your next adjustment, or for more info on how we could help give us a call at 01925 411005.
