The 5 Healthiest Sleep Positions for a Good Night’s Rest

The healthiest way to sleep is the position that helps you achieve restful, uninterrupted, and pain-free sleep.

If your sleep position is causing pain or discomfort, it may also affect your sleep quality, including when you fall asleep, how long you sleep, and if you wake up during the night.

Experts often agree that side and back sleeping are the best positions. However, there can be benefits to sleeping on your stomach and in an elevated position.

Sleeping on your left side is best for people with back pain, neck pain, acid reflux, or sleep apnea. Experts also recommend sleeping on your left side during pregnancy to keep pressure off the vena cava vein, which supports blood flow later in pregnancy.

Sleeping on your left side promotes healthy spinal alignment by keeping your hips and head in line. This alignment can help avoid spinal pressure that increases lower back pain. It also reduces pressure on the cervical spine (the neck area), which can help relieve neck pain.

Left-sided sleeping also helps take pressure off internal organs and open your airways, which can help you breathe better. Less pressure on your organs helps reduce stomach acid that can travel up your esophagus (the tube connecting your throat to your stomach) and cause acid reflux or heartburn.

Like sleeping on your left side, sleeping on your right side helps align your vertebrae and tailbone to relieve lower back and neck pain.

Sleeping on your right side may be the best sleep position for heart health, anxiety, and depression. Right-sided sleeping can also improve airflow in people who snore or have sleep apnea.

Research shows that right-sided sleepers appear to experience a decrease in nervous system activity that may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Less nervous system activity may also be helpful for people with heart disease, lowering their heart rate and blood pressure.

One study found that people tend to favor right-sided sleeping as they age. Researchers theorize that right-sided sleeping may be a protective mechanism to help regulate heart rate and blood pressure to protect the heart. 

Limited research also shows that people who sleep on their right side are more relaxed and less likely to experience nightmares than left-sided sleepers.

The supine position (aka back sleeping) is good for people with lower back pain, neck pain, and edema.

Sleeping on your back keeps the spine aligned as if standing up, while evenly distributing body weight. This helps reduce pressure points on your neck or back that can lead to pain.

However, sleeping on your back can make breathing more difficult as gravity presses on the body, worsening sleep apnea and snoring. Some people also find that back sleeping causes lower back pain if there is a gap between the mattress and their lower back.

If you’re experiencing any edema (swelling of the feet or ankles), elevating the legs above heart level using pillows or a wedge is recommended.

Propping yourself up and sleeping on your back is ideal for people experiencing congestion. An elevated sleeping position helps relieve congestion by allowing more air to enter your nasal passages.

If you’re sick with a stuffy or runny nose, sleeping flat on your back can cause mucus to back up into your nasal passage. Elevating your head with a few pillows can help reduce sinus pressure and postnasal drip (mucus running down your throat)—two symptoms that can increase congestion and coughing at night.

Prone position (aka sleeping on your stomach) is considered the least optimal. It is more likely to misalign the spine, which isn’t ideal for people experiencing back or neck pain.

Studies show that stomach sleeping often causes more pain, which can contribute to frequent wake-ups and poor sleep quality. Sleeping on your stomach increases pressure on your spine and provides the least amount of back support.

However, research on people with sleep apnea found that sleeping on the stomach helped open the airway and reduce snoring.

Most people favor a particular sleep position due to habit and comfort. However, you can choose a different position to improve your sleep quality and address existing health conditions. Some additional factors to consider include:

• Pain points: If you have back or neck pain, stick to back or side sleeping. Sleeping on your back is sometimes better if you have lower or mid-back pain. Sleeping on your side may help alleviate neck pain. 
• Breathing issues: If you snore or have sleep apnea, sleeping on your side is best to help open the airway or avoid collapsing the airway. However, sleeping on your stomach may also help you breathe easier.
• Body type: People with larger bodies may have trouble sleeping on their backs, as lying down adds more pressure to the hips and abdomen. Sleeping on your side with your knees slightly bent and a pillow placed between them may help improve alignment and relieve pressure.
• Skin health: If you’re concerned about acne or wrinkles, sleeping on your back helps prevent your facial skin from touching your pillow. Side and stomach sleeping can crease and stretch the skin as you sleep. These positions may also transfer more acne-causing bacteria from your pillowcase to your face. 
• Sleep quality: Research has shown that people who sleep on the right side experience less tossing and turning. As a result, right-sided sleepers had better sleep quality than those who slept in other positions.

Beyond sleep position, having a consistent bedtime routine is crucial for healthy sleep. Other ways you can improve your sleep health include:

• Use more (or fewer) pillows: If you’re a back sleeper with back pain, place a thin pillow under your lower back or your knees. A small pillow between the knees and hips can improve spinal alignment during side sleeping. When sleeping on your stomach, place your head on a thin pillow to avoid neck tension.
• Consider replacing your mattress: Sleeping on an old, worn-out mattress can sometimes contribute to poor sleep quality and back pain. A supportive, medium-firm mattress can improve spinal alignment and pain relief for people with lower back pain.
• Avoid electronics at least 30 minutes before bed: Scrolling on your phone exposes your eyes to artificial blue light. Blue light can lower melatonin levels and trick your body into thinking it’s daytime—increasing the time it takes to fall asleep. 
• Get your bedroom sleep-ready: The ideal sleep environment is quiet, dark, and cool. Shut your blinds or get blackout curtains to keep light out, and use a white noise machine to drown out outside noise. Set the thermostat to 65–70 degrees Fahrenheit (18-21 degrees Celsius) for a comfortable sleeping temperature.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed: Drinking caffeine within five hours of bedtime can disrupt sleep. Alcohol also disrupts your sleep pattern and makes it difficult to get enough quality sleep.

The best sleep position depends on your comfort, pain, and health conditions. However, side and back sleeping are generally considered the best positions because they help align the spine.

In addition to sleeping position, lifestyle habits like avoiding electronics right before bed or shutting your blinds can help you get high-quality, restful sleep.