CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

Posture When Sleeping To get a good nights rest it is essential to be well supported in bed. This depends a lot on your body shape, how posturally aligned you are as well as the type and quality of bed and pillow you have. Gravity We are all aware of the forces of gravity, when we are in the upright position, but have you considered the effects of gravity when you are in bed? When we are upright, the head, neck, mid back, lower back and pelvic areas overlap and the pull of gravity is 100% downwards towards the earth. However when we are lying on our backs the force of gravity is distributed throughout the length of the body . The ideal weight distribution of the body on a mattress. When lying on the back, the body needs support to accommodate the curves as seen in the upright posture, this means having a giving, yet supportive mattress and a pillow of the correct height to take the weight of the head and support the neck. For us to lead healthy, vital lives it is necessary for us to have sufficient sound sleep, usually around 7-8 hours per night. During sleep, gravity and body weight leads to pressure being exerted on blood vessels, nerves and lymph glands. If the mattress and pillow do not provide sufficient support then the pressure exerted on the more weight bearing areas of the body (mid and lower back) come under these pressures which can result in restrictions to circulation, and stiffness of the joints. In order to avoid this unpleasantness people tend to unconsciously turn on average around 30 times per night. Lying on the side Because of the build up in pressure in the mid and lower back, most people do not sleep on their back for much of the night. We might start the night on our back but our instincts and reflexes tell our lower back to readjust to a different position. The majority of people spend most time sleeping either on their sides or front. This is because most mattresses are unable to provide sufficient support to the lumbar lordosis. Sleeping on the side provides better support for the lumbar lordosis. However the side posture obviously presents different problems when sleeping as we have a bigger height difference in the neck region and the body weight can cause the body to bend laterally. Plus shoulder, hip and neck stress can be uncomfortable when sleeping on the side. In order to combat the unsettling and uncomfortable affects of gravity on the body when sleeping it is not only essential to have the correctly supporting mattress and pillow for the individual, but to have as physiologically correct posture as possible. After all the designers and scientists who develop the numerous sleep systems available are assuming we all have the correct posture. If you are waking unrefreshed, stiff and sore it may be that your posture is askew. To find out come along and have an assessment. You never know, to feel, young and alive again could be just a few Ishta Spinal Touch sessions away. If you need a new bed Sealy do a lot of different types and carry out a lot of research and a very interesting pillow is the Pegasus wing pillow.

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