Sleeping Position -- does it matter? (and which positions are best)

I have been working F for the last five months and have integrated the stretch series and H1 into my routine in the last month or so.  As a lawyer I spend a lot of time behind a desk so hammy and hip flexibility has been a big issue for me, which I expected.   I did not expect the horrible shoulder mobility that I apparently have--I cannot raise my hands directly over my shoulders with straight elbows without anchoring my hand on something (thanks surfing and rock climbing).  

The stretch courses and integrated mobility are certainly helping, but progress is slow.  I am therefore trying to do everything I can to avoid further impairing my mobility and undoing all the good work I am putting in at the gym.  I have eliminated my chair from my office and installed a standing desk.  It occurred to me that, next to my office, the place I spend the greatest amount of time in one position is my bed.   I am a side sleeper, usually on my right side, with my shoulder sort of crunched up towards the front of my body.  Perhaps not coincidentally, mobility in my right shoulder is significantly worse than in my left shoulder.  

So, what does the community say--does sleeping position matter?  What positions are best to avoid impairing shoulder mobility?

(also, this is my first post, so please forgive any forum rules that I have inadvertently broken)

Welcome bcodymartin!  Good job working through your particular areas of weakness.  we all have them!  There's obviously not great studies on this stuff.  I personally like Esther Gokhale's book on back pain and posture, has a chapter on sleep posture that's pretty good.  I am a side sleeper too.  It seems it is probably good to get used to more than one posture so that when you have injuries and for variety sake you can sleep on back (unless sleep apnea an issue).  I do not think side sleeping is bad for your shoulders, though that doesn't mean your particular style is not.  focus on the shoulders being back, the pillow height being proper, and your low back not rounded.  It's a big topic, but that is a brief synopsis.  (and mind you very subjective, due to the lacking science on this issue).  Cheers, and hope you enjoy the forum.

I've thought about this a fair bit and I think you are on the right track with your thinking. Although it is rather difficult to change life-long sleeping patterns, there is an argument to be made about how you sleep. Side sleeping allows people to continue to be hunched over, with poor posture, if that is how they are normally. Side sleeping also becomes rather annoying when your shoulders get in the way of how you sleep, hence why you are kind of moving it out of the way so you aren't sleeping on it. 

I  think the ideal is to sleep on your back with virtually no pillow at all, on a firm mattress. This opens gets the head and neck in a better position (assuming you aren't hinging your head backwards), lets the shoulders fall back and opens them up. It also opens up your hips compared to side sleeping. All in all an improvement compared to what you can accomplish while side sleeping.

This being said, I find it impossible to sleep on my back, I've never been able to do it, so its completely hypothetical from my perspective. 

Im sleeping like a bat, upside down from a pull up bar. It really helps with getting used to the blood rushing to your head while doing handstands.

I used to joke with my chiropractor that most of my injuries occurred while sleeping.  He recommends sleeping on your back as much as possible with a proper pillow that supports your neck comfortably. 

Side sleeping used to affect my right shoulder from time to time and it improved significantly once I focused on lying on my back.  However, what I was experiencing was more of a periodic pinched nerve type of thing.  

You might also consider doing a few targeted mobility movements and/or stretches from foundation and/or the stretch series when you wake up and even during the work day to help keep things moving.  I have my favorites that help with my mobility issues. I like to throw in some seal rocks, rocking table, cat cow, hip swivels, pelvic tilts/flattening the back during the day. Mobility exercises are generally easy to do on the go.  (Obviously you'll want to choose the movements that help your specific target areas.)  

I think it matters and sleeping on your back with a good pillow probably is better but it also matters if you can sleep in that position. I tried to sleep on my back for about 2 months but I had hard time falling asleep which had a much more negative effect on my overall health than side/ stomach sleeping. I think the right mattress and pillow are probably better things to change even though they can be more cost prohibitive. Also with mobility just focus on being consistent. Missing one session will be much more detrimental than how you sleep in the long run imo.  

I've been wondering about this topic a lot recently as I have some minor neck pain and lower back issues.  I any roccomendations on a pillow or how to find the correct pillow height?

Read this article. I did write along post and hit the smily emoji and it vanished.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1119282/

Also sit a on an uncomfortable seat so you move more.

Thanks all for the thoughts and input.  Seems like "sleep on your back with just sufficient neck support" is the party line.  I will give the back sleeping a go for a month and report back.

You may have the wrong take away.  notice, for one, in Mark's article, most primitive people do not sleep on their back.  This article goes along with a more scientific paper which shows it is quite unusual for primitive people to sleep on their back.  I think it is wise to be able to sleep in different positions, so that you may relieve pain from injuries or overuse.  For instance, if your L. shoulder bothers you, you sleep on your R. side, or your stomach, or your back.  Many, perhaps most, people cannot sleep on their back.  There has never been a study to show back sleeping is better for you (on the contrary, in sleep apnea, it is worse for you).  So see how it goes, try different positions, but don't make a big deal out of it.  Good QUALITY sleep is the most important thing you can do for your recovery and strength gains.  

MTNordic:  I read the article.  I found it informative and interesting, but it is a collection of anecdotes.  The particular positions seemed to be specific ways to (1) avoid having one's parts get bitten by insects living on the ground while sleeping; (2) avoid freezing to death while sleeping; and (3) keep an ear out for predators/enemies while sleeping.  The article made the argument that primitive folks have less/lower rates of back pain than "civilised" folks because of how they sleep--interesting argument, but unsupported.  Moreover, I do not suffer from low back pain and, because I do not live in primitive conditions, the three numbered concerns are not issues I need to address.  So lets just say I take the article with a grain of salt.

That said, I tried out the sleeping with head on the hand/wrist with no pillow position for the first half of last night.  Quite comfortable.  Also seems to result in less hunching/rounding of the shoulders--which is good for me.  Tried sleeping on my back for the second half, also quite comfortable.  Definitely going to add both in to the mix.

Agree that sufficient quality sleep is #1 (otherwise recovery will be impaired), but if I can avoid doing damage/undoing good work while I sleep by altering position, then I am all for it.  Variety, as you suggest, may be a good way to achieve that.

I have read some old stuff on sleeping qigong using this (head supported on hand side - lying ) position , along with some other details and setting up breathing patterns prior to falling asleep.

I've never noticed anything major from dabbling with it, but it does seem most comfortable to me, unless I have a particularly good pillow

I'll lie on my back when I'm dead. Man, sleeping in the prone position feels good!

You can also look at different mattress materials. I currently have a latex mattress and pillow and I  don't think I would go back to any other material. I really like the pillow because you can kinda form it like a memory foam pillow but it isn't as hot nor does it every get flat. 

Cbabcock686 said:

I've been wondering about this topic a lot recently as I have some minor neck pain and lower back issues.  I any roccomendations on a pillow or how to find the correct pillow height?

I used to have a lot of issues with my neck, which would also affect my upper back, so I have literally tried over 25 different "special" pillows on the market hoping for the magic bullet.  I even went for a whole year with no pillow when I got a brand new mattress.  It worked for a while, but then I started to have issues from that too.  I tried several pillows with special neck chambers and different materials and ended up right back to the same old basic pillow they sell at Bed Bath and Beyond (medium support).  I generally go for one in the $40-$50 price range since the fill seems to maintain uniformity better than the cheaper ones.  The best recommendation I could give is to replace your pillow periodically since they do lose their support over time.  

(It took me a while to realize it, but a combination of maintaining a healthy weight, working out, and stretching has had the most positive impact on my neck and back issues. Honestly though, incorporating the Stretch courses is what finally got me to feeling great.)  

So - I promised to report back in a month and here it is:  For the past month I tried to sleep mostly on back or on side with head supported by hand/wrist/foream.  It was an utter failure at first - unable to even fall asleep that way-let alone spend the entire night in either position.  I kept at it and it got better over time (imagine that).  Now I sleep at least a few hours in one or both comfortably.  Shoulder mobility has improved massively (confounding factor: have been working hard at Foundations/H1 too).  The difference in mobility between my right and left shoulder is reduced.   I think that being able to move through different positions through  the night, e.g., a few hours on left arm extended, a few hours on right wrist under head, a few hours on back, etc., has been most helpful.

Thanks to all for the helpful thoughts and experiences.