The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: By now, we all know that quality sleep lasting 7-8 hours is extremely essential for our well-being. But, it is also important to know that your sleeping posture is just as important — as it also determines how you would feel upon waking up. As such, should you sleep on your back, your sides, or on your stomach for not only a good night’s sleep but also a refreshed morning? Talking about the same, while focusing on the habit of sleeping on one’s stomach, Dr Khanita Suvarnasuddhi, an acupuncturist and chiropractor in the State of Maryland, United States, took to her Instagram. Find out what she had to say about this common sleeping position — whether it is a good practice to follow (or not).

In a video, she explained:

*Laying on your stomach puts undue pressure on the spine because you naturally sink deeper into the torso.

*Also, you can’t really properly sleep face down unless you have a massage table — to help keep your spine neutral. As such, you end up twisting your neck the whole night; this causes a lot of torsions (twisting of the body) into your spine which can lead to a lot of neck pain in the future.

According to Dr Joydeep Ghosh, internal medicine, consultant, at Fortis Hospital, Kolkata, when sleeping on the stomach, the maximum weight is on the centre of one’s body. “This makes it hard to keep an impartial backbone role while you are sleeping. Stress at the backbone will increase strain on different systems of your body,” said Dr Ghosh. Dr Ghosh also agreed that sleeping on the stomach disrupts the position of the neck. “The position places your head and backbone out of alignment while twisting your neck. You won’t be aware of the harm after one episode of belly sleeping, however, through the years, neck issues can develop,” he noted.

However, if you still need to sleep on your stomach, Dr Khanita suggests using a firm mattress and putting a pillow under your pelvis. “Honestly, it is better to sleep on your side, or on your back to keep the spine neutral,” she stressed.