May isn’t just known for blooming flowers, it’s also Correct Your Posture Month!
If you’ve been catching a little slouching in your gait, maybe it’s time to revisit how your posture is while you sit and while you sleep. After all, a sturdy, confident posture makes a positive difference in how attractive you look and also reduces the risk of injury just from moving around and playing sports.
Your posture while sleeping shouldn’t affect your posture while moving around, right? Think again!
When you’re sleeping, your body remains immobile for an extended period of time, taking a toll on your body. That’s why sleeping on the wrong pillows and mattresses so often contributes to exacerbating aches and pains. Walking around with such aches and pains isn’t exactly conducive to a confident, poised gait throughout the day.
For pillows, you need to find one that fits around the curve of your neck, one that fully supports your head.
If your head feels like it’s sinking in too deep, that’s a sign the pillow is worn and needs to be replaced. Typically we recommend replacing pillows after 1-2 years. The pillow should keep your neck aligned with your chest and lower back for ideal posture. Quality memory foam pillows, such as Lull’s, often do a great job providing this support.
But what about what position you sleep in? Every typical sleeping position can be carried out in a way that’s harmful or supportive to quality posture.
The key is to maintain spine alignment no matter what! So if you sleep on your back, pay attention to whether the pillow is too high. If you can clearly see all of your feet when you look down, it might be. If you sleep on the side, you might need a thicker pillow to fill that space between your ear and the bed. No matter what, make sure your neck does NOT curve upward!
It’s understandable if you can’t lock in these positions right away, since they can take time to adjust to. Meanwhile, there are plenty of stretches you can do to help release bodily tension, straighten out your body, and relieve those aches. You don’t need a fancy yoga studio for these poses! Just a few minutes a day can make a difference.