1 week Ago By Alice Fuller
ARE you a side sleeper, self-confessed starfish, or can you simply not nod off unless you're on your front? Most of us are quite specific when it comes to our preferred position for a good night's kip. But there is one we should all be avoiding - and it's pretty popular. That's according to Dr Daria Sadovskaya, a nephrologist [kidney specialist], who says it can cause numerous issues in the body.
The 30-year-old, who has racked up more than 16million likes on TikTok , says: "I believe your health is the most valuable thing a person has. "That's why I am glad and grateful to have a following that makes it possible to spread an important message to millions of people. READ MORE ON SLEEP "If at least one person will be inspired by my videos to take better care of their health, I'll be more than happy.
" Dr Sadovskaya shared a video of herself demonstrating various typical sleeping positions in order of how detrimental they can be to your health . She starts by sleeping flat on her back – the most recommended position. "This is considered the best sleep position because it keeps your head, neck, and spine in a neutral alignment, reducing the risk of pain," Dr Daria, from Singapore , says.
Most read in Health "It also minimises pressure on joints and can prevent facial wrinkles, as there’s no pressure on your face." Next, she sleeps sideways, resting a hand under her pillow – which she says is the “second best” position. "Sleeping on your side is highly beneficial," she says.
"To maintain proper alignment, use a supportive pillow between your knees to keep your spine neutral. "This position is also great for reducing snoring and alleviating sleep apnoea by keeping your airways open." For the third position, she demonstrates sleeping on her stomach .
"This position is generally not recommended because it can strain your neck and spine due to the head being turned to one side for extended periods," the doctor adds. "Additionally, it increases pressure on your lower back, which can lead to discomfort." And finally, she shows the worst position - lying on your stomach with one leg pulled up to the chest.
The expert says this is “particularly problematic”, adding: "Pulling one leg up causes the pelvis to rotate, twisting your lower back and leading to spinal misalignment. "Over time, this can result in back pain or stiffness. "It can also cause neck strain – turning your head to one side for long periods can strain the neck muscles and even lead to nerve compression.
"The uneven positioning of the hips (one raised and one flat) can also create tension in the hip flexors and result in imbalanced pressure on the pelvis. "And, sleeping on your stomach compresses your chest, making it harder to breathe deeply and reducing oxygen intake. "It can even give you acne, wrinkles and face puffiness.
" WE spend a third of our lives asleep - but the way we do it varies hugely from person to person. Some of us are serial nappers who love nothing more than a mid-afternoon snooze, while others struggle to get more than four hours of kip a night. Scientists in the US have identified four distinct sleep types and the impact each can have on long-term health .
These are: Good sleepers Weekend catch-up sleepers Insomnia sleepers Nappers Almost half of us fall into the insomnia and napper categories, but this is less than ideal, the researchers said. These are "suboptimal" patterns which increase our risk of several killer conditions. After 10 years, being an insomnia sleeper was associated with a 72 to 188 per cent higher risk of chronic health problems, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes , depression and frailty .
It did not, however, increase someone's risk of respiratory conditions. Meanwhile, nappers appeared to be more likely to develop diabetes , cancer and frailty. Being a weekend catch-up sleeper or good sleeper was not associated with chronic conditions.
Study author Soomi Lee, associate professor of human development and family studies at The Pennsylvania State University, said: "Our findings indicate a heightened risk of chronic conditions involved in suboptimal sleep health phenotypes, mainly insomnia sleepers." Read the full story here . The post has attracted more than 500,000 likes - but viewers aren't happy.
One person commented: "Why are the worst ones the most comfortable?!" READ MORE SUN STORIES Another wrote: "I have never fallen asleep on my back, ever; I just can’t." While a third said: "The worse they get, the better they feel." By Alice Fuller , Health Features Editor I’VE struggled with insomnia for almost five years.
It started as me waking up at 4am or 5am no matter what time I went to bed, but it slowly progressed into trouble falling asleep, waking up throughout the night, and feeling utterly exhausted all the time. I have tried everything to combat these problems, including prescription and over-the-counter medication, supplements, teas, room sprays, yoga, meditation, relaxation apps, eye masks and sleep playlists. Some have helped a little, but overall, nothing has managed to get me a solid eight hours.
It’s got to the point now where it’s all I think about. How much sleep will I get tonight? How will I feel tomorrow? I need to leave that event early to make sure I’m in bed by 11pm. I can’t go to that gig because I’ll be too tired the next day.
And on and on it goes. At the Good Sleep Retreat, psychologist Dr Maja Schaedel tells me I’m only making matters worse. Instead of obsessing, I need to let it all go.
“You try to ‘control’ sleep too much,”she says. “This can lead to you trying to prioritise your sleep each night rather than prioritising other important things in your life, such as socialising or exercising in the evening. “This gives sleep too much ‘power’ and can lead to increased pressure and worry around sleep which can make it worse.
“You are also now so used to feeling unrefreshed upon waking that you now look out for it. “This type of ‘hypervigilance’ means that you often pay attention to how unrefreshed you feel, and this can make it feel worse.” After three days, her main piece of advice for me was to stop thinking about sleep altogether.
Ditch the pre-bedtime rituals like a hot shower and listening to Headspace, she says, and just go about my life as I would like to live it, with all the concerts and pub quizzes as I like - then things should slowly fall back into place. I’ve made a start, but only time will tell! Read the full article, including the seven best things I learnt from the sleep expert, here ..
