Daisy Phillipson
Are you a fan of sleeping on your stomach? It might be time for a change, as an expert has revealed why we should kick the habit.
Your nightly routine is an essential (and often overlooked) part of maintaining a healthy mind and body, and that includes the position you sleep in.
A spokesperson from Levitex, a pillow and mattress brand that focuses on spine health, has revealed that laying on your front for extended periods of time can be an absolute nightmare for your back.
Demonstrating on a model wearing a muscle suit, he explains that the muscles at the back of your upper legs have to extend to maintain the position.
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And it's not just your legs doing all of the, well, legwork. "None of you have ever watched TV like this, so why would you spend hours upon hours twisting your neck?" he continued.
Then there's your spine to think about, which is under strain when you lay on your stomach and will cause back problems 'very, very soon' if continued.
So if you can stop sleeping on your stomach, do it – but if you really can't refrain, then at least don't use a pillow as this will relieve some of the pressure on your neck.
This isn't the only tip offered by Levitex – in fact, the firm's TikTok page is filled with advice for sleeping at home and when you're out and about.
Take, for example, those travel pillows we all spend a fortune on at the airport. Apparently there's a much better and cheaper way to do it.
Speaking about the neck cushions, the expert said: "It's not going to support the 20 muscles and the seven tiny vertebrae in your neck.
"Try this hack to save you money and save space in your suitcase with the jumper that you're going to be coming home with because it's cold and miserable when you do.
"Fold it, roll it, wrap it round your neck, get an elastic band or a hair bobble, pin it together and now you have a beautiful neck cushion."
As for the pillows you use at nighttime, as much as it pains me to say it, apparently the nice, big fluffy ones are no good.
Instead we should all be using thin, supportive cushions as they will support the curvature of your head and won't leave you with neck ache in the morning.
But that doesn't mean you need to throw away those old pillows, as the Levitex host went on to explain that you can wedge one between your legs if you're a side sleeper in order to maintain your posture.
So there you have it – if you often wake up feeling like you've been run over by a truck, you might want to try out a few of these tips.
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