#34 - Next Position Please: The Science of Sleeping Positions
Feb 13, 2023•33 min
Episode description
Back sleeper, side sleeper, stomach sleeper...which is the best position for quality sleep? Body position is a popular topic in the media, but how much evidence is behind the recommendations? In this episode we will:
- Explore sleeping positions and our ability to perceive and control them
- Briefly touch upon considerations like facial wrinkling and glaucoma for which there is inconclusive evidence
- Revisit how back sleeping in infants is thought about currently in the relationship to SIDS and infant sleeping safety (listen to episode 32 on co-sleeping for more information)
- Explore body position options for pregnant women
- Learn about body position and joint pain
- Examine the role that body position plays in GERD and the mechanism behind the recommendations
- Evaluate the evidence for improved cardiovascular functioning based upon sleep position
- Critique the 2015 study linking Alzheimer's disease risk to sleeping position and its relevance to humans
- Touch upon ways adults can improve sleep apnea, snoring, and GERD via sleeping position technology.
Produced by: Maeve Winter
More
- Twitter: @drchriswinter
- IG: @drchriwinter
- Threads: @drchriswinter
- Bluesky: @drchriswinter
- The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child
Thanks for listening and sleep well!
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