Is sleeping one of your favourite things to do? Are you the type that can’t wait to crawl into bed at the end of the day. Maybe you look forward to the weekend because you can spend a little extra time cozying up inside the blankets guilt-free before you get the day going.

If you consider yourself a sleep aficionado, you probably already know how important sleep is for your health and happiness. You might be committed to doing things that ensure you sleep deeply and wake up feeling rested. That might include a consistent nighttime routine and investing in a high quality mattress that’s right for your body type.

But have you ever thought about the position that you sleep in during the night? Studies have been done that determine the best sleep position for your health. Let’s break it down!

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Stomach sleeping

There aren’t too many people that naturally gravitate toward sleeping the full night on their tummy, which is good since it’s the hardest on the body. Stomach sleepers are more prone to waking up with sore necks and backs because their spines are put into a position that is unnatural. They might even experience numbness and tingling in their limbs because of the pressure on their bodies from sleeping this way.

Back sleeping

Back sleepers are more common and they are middle of the road. With the right pillow and mattress, back sleepers are doing ok. However, they may wake up with a sore neck if their pillow is too high or firm. One downside to back sleeping is that it can worsen sleep apnea and snoring, which can be a real bummer if there is a partner sleeping in bed with them.

Side sleeping

Scientifically speaking, side sleeping is the best position for the body to be in throughout the night. A person does need to be careful of their arm and shoulder so that can take the brunt of the pressure and can face damage over time. Side sleeping is best for those who suffer from snoring and sleep apnea and it’s also the best position for brain health.

But generally speaking, side sleeping is the best for the body’s overall health. But wait. There’s more!

There is actually one side of the body that’s even more beneficial for health — the left side. Thanks to the unique arrangement of the body’s organs, sleeping on the left side gives your heart some relief and can even lower incidences of heart burn. It’s also better for the digestive track because of the way the intestines sit inside the body. This can lead to more regularity and having good digestion is a very important step in achieving overall health.

So what do you do if you are stomach sleeper who wants to make the switch? You will probably have to train yourself over time, which you can do with a fortress of pillows that won’t allow you to turn over throughout the night.

We spend a third of our life sleeping, so why not make the most of it with the sleep position that’s going to serve us best?