The Best Sleeping Positions for Your Specific Sleep Issues, According to Experts

It depends on your health concerns, say experts, who recommended options to help with apnea, acid reflux, and other common conditions.

Whether you like to starfish in the middle of the bed or face-plant in a pillow, your go-to sleeping position is deeply personal—but it's not just a quirk. Research indicates that the way you spend those 7 to 8 hours a night could have a 24/7 impact on your health. Here, sleep specialists weigh in on various positions and the potential benefits of each.

On Your Back

Can reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain

“This position helps keep the back and neck in alignment,” says Devin Burke, founder of Sleep Science Academy in Delray Beach, Fla., and author of The Sleep Advantage: Optimize Your Night to Win Your Day. For additional back pain relief, try placing a pillow under your knees.

May soothe dry eyes

A small 2018 study published in the journal Cornea found that those who suffered with dryeyes were more likely to sleep on their sides or stomachs than on their backs. One possible explanation is that when we lie on our back, our eyes aren’t pressing against our pillow, which could compress the glands that make natural tears.

Could help prevent wrinkles

Okay, this one's more about vanity than health, but still: You've heard that sleep is beneficial for the skin (that's why they call it beauty rest), but when it comes to your complexion, how you sleep matters too. When we lie on our backs, gravity is our friend, leaving our skin nice and smooth. Side and stomach sleeping can cause compression that may lead to wrinkles—and we're not just talking about the crease marks from your pillowcase.

On Your Side

May improve sleep apnea

Side sleeping helps keep our airways open and enables easier breathing; back sleeping, on the other hand, allows the muscles in the upper throat to relax, making it more difficult for oxygen to reach the lungs and worsening obstructive sleep apnea (along with plain old snoring), says Abhinav Singh, MD, director of the Indiana Sleep Center and a medical review expert for SleepFoundation.org.

Can ease digestive issues and heartburn

According to a small study recently published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, sleeping on the left side may enable you to clear excess stomach acid more efficiently than in other positions, easing heartburn pain.

Could possibly prevent Alzheimer's

Though more research is needed, a 2015 study at Stony Brook University in New York indicated that side sleeping may most effectively remove waste from the brain, which contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.

On Your Stomach

Can reduce snoring and some apnea

That's the good news. The bad news for stomach sleepers is that the position can also cause neck and back strain—something to keep in mind if that's your favorite way to snooze.

How to Train Yourself to Switch Positions

”Try changing your side of the bed or switching to a different mattress or pillow,” Singh says. (Back sleepers generally need firmer support, while squishier options tend to suit side sleepers.) It can also help to arrange your pillows into a physical barrier that keeps you from rolling into your old familiar pose, he adds: “Those body pillows that pregnant women use can work really well.”

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