This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in December of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUZEiCVO5aU
Mike: Today we're going to discuss the absolute worst way people over 50 are sleeping.
Brad: That's right, I didn't get a good night's sleep last night and the reason is when you get over 50, things change in your body. We're going to tell you all about it. The number one worst position, which I found a little surprising, it is sleeping on your back.
Mike: So Dr. Virend Somers, who is a cardiologist and director of the Sleep Facility within Mayo Clinic says there's a host of evidence overall suggesting that probably side sleeping is better. So we're going to talk about common problems people have with sleeping on their back. And if you are going to be in that position, we'll show you some alternatives to help fix these issues.
Brad: That's right. All right, two very common problems that happen as we age with the spine are number one, degenerative disk disease, and number two spinal stenosis. And what we can do to find out, is lie in your back if one of those is your problem. And actually, just a simple test. Mike, go ahead.
Mike: So if you're experiencing back pain while laying straight like this, a simple solution you could try is bringing your knees towards your chest. I'm not pulling hard, I'm just simply lifting my knees up. If this offers relief, this is a good sign for you. What you can do if you like to sleep on your back and this offers relief, is simply take some pillows, and put them underneath your legs to get your back supported like this.
Brad: Right, so that offers the lower back some ability to relax and release and opens up those facet joints, which is also very comfortable.
Mike: So if you're a back sleeper and you find this helpful, you could certainly invest in a leg wedge if that is something you are looking for. This can offer long-term relief. Brad, you have one of these, right?
Brad: Right, yes. And with stenosis that I have, I've used this, go to sleep with it. I can get to sleep quickly. I don't sleep with it all night long. A couple of hours into it, I'll actually throw it off to the side and then I'll go to my side and it varies. You'll see as the video goes on, other alternatives. All right, the second problem that people have with sleeping on their back is number one, sleep apnea, and number two, snoring. I have a snoring problem and my sister actually tests people for sleep apnea and she says I probably have that as well.
Mike: So when you're sleeping on your back, what that can cause is the soft tissues in your throat as well as your tongue to kind of fall back into your throat obstructing your airway. This commonly causes snoring to happen. You may not have sleep apnea that causes it, but sleeping on your back can be problematic. So oftentimes the simple solution is to sleep either on your side or on your stomach.
Brad: So to be clear on sleep apnea and snoring, you're either going to start sleeping on your stomach or on your sides. Now, the next thing we have a problem with is GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease. It's a mouthful. It's the same as heartburn.
Mike: So a simple solution for this is to not sleep on your back, because when you're in a flat position like this, oftentimes the acid reflex starts working its way up, which becomes problematic. Some people get relief from either side sleeping, like we mentioned earlier, or on their stomach as well. But another option is to get a type of wedge pillow. Now this one is differently shaped than the one we had for our legs, but sometimes just elevating up like this allows the acid to get pushed back down into the stomach, not causing the heartburn or throat burn. And this gives relief to some people.
Brad: That's right. So the use of gravity. If you happen to have a bed, which a lot of people do nowadays, that the head elevates and goes back down, that works very well. All right, I do want to clarify the difference between the leg wedge and the wedge here, which is for the heartburn. If you see the angle here is very distinct, that's very critical. That is just for the legs. This angle here is simply for the trunk and the elevation of the trunk.
Brad: All right, and another common problem with back sleeping is the neck. Oftentimes people will use two pillows or one thick pillow, which brings the head forward and flexes the neck. The chin goes towards the sternum. It's not only bad for the neck and the cervical spine, but also it makes it more difficult to breathe.
Mike: So a simple solution is to just go down to one pillow, having a thinner pillow, or some people may even need a throw pillow from the couch if they were smaller. Once your head is more in a neutral position, this can alleviate any neck pain you may be having.
Brad: That's right. All right, so that covers the four problems or potential problems with back sleeping, as well as some nice solutions you can do at home.
Mike: Now, if you're having shoulder pain while sleeping, you can check out our video "How To Stop Shoulder Pain in Bed (Sleeping Postures)."
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