Learning to sleep on the back
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Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:55 am

I just can't sleep on my back, even though it is obviously less detrimental for my face Crying or Very sad

. It just doesn't feel at all as comfortable as sleeping on my stomach with my face scrunched down in the pillow. Unfortunately that makes me wake up with folds on my face and lines on my chest, that, as I get older, takes longer to disappear.

So ladies, please, how do you back sleepers do it? Have any of you consciously gone from sleeping in another position to sleeping on the back and how did you do it?? Help!

And yes, I realize that this might be one of the silliest questions ever asked in here Cool

free skin care · Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:56 am

HI CPHgirl , I do sleep on my back all the time, never on the side. However, I have invested on a very good queen-sized mattress with extra softest foam you can find on the market and having good mattress makes me relax and fall at sleep on my back. I have also invested on good pillows to match... Use best Egyptian cotton sheets you can find (don't like silk). One factor for being relax is sleeping on just washed sheets/cover/blankets.... I wash mine 1x a week..... This is me and some people might not agree, but I do get enough sleep per day with this.

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:25 am

Hi CPHgirl,

Check out this thread from a while back:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=44813

Also a couple of pointers. Jade-1234 is totally right. It is all about the mattress. If you want to sleep on your back it is imperative to invest in a good one that is comfortable and supports spinal alignment. If you think about our spinal curvature there are certain points (The largest being where the pelvis is) that put added pressure on the mattress. They are stress points. To illustrate:

http://www.georgestreetwaterbeds.com/waterbeds_and_you.html

If you sleep on your back with a very hard mattress you will likely find that these areas will be sore in the morning. This is in part because the blood flow has been greatly restricted to these areas all throughout the night thanks to the pressure on them. In fact to keep the blood circulating properly is why many people turn in the night.

Many aspiring back sleepers put a pillow under their knees. Such a move flattens the back so as to remove the stress on the pressure points somewhat but it is still important to invest in a mattress that moulds to your spine so everything is being supported optimally. I think this guy's recommendations are good for the type of mattress to buy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saNW1BuM7c8

But I would recommend trying loads and just seeing what works for you - what feels right.

Also if you are going to sleep on your back make sure that your pillow is thin otherwise you will be forcing your head forward; taking the spine out of its natural alignment and probably wake up with neck ache in the morning. I recommend the mediflow waterbase pillow filled to the minimal level with a nice anti-aing pillow case covering it just in case you do turn in the night. This is a great pillow because the water means it moulds to your neck and head rather than you moulding to it!

Hope this helps Smile

Quote:

I wash mine 1x a week

Wish I had the discipline to wash mine that often. Just find changing sheets such a chore. Plus my b/f and i have two queen size beds pushed together so there is so much to change! You are right though. There is nothing like clean sheets Smile

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2012 3:24 am

Yes, it is true. Changing sheets such a chore. But if I don't change them, I have problem sleeping! And if I don't get enough sleep the night before, then I feel terrible the next day, more so, not feeling right to start my day.

Moon wrote:

Wish I had the discipline to wash mine that often. Just find changing sheets such a chore. Plus my b/f and i have two queen size beds pushed together so there is so much to change! You are right though. There is nothing like clean sheets Smile

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:54 am

I went from sleeping on my side to my back and these are some tips that helped me. I use a very flat pillow(and I mean flat). I also have a Original Sobakawa Buckwheat Pillow and I take out some of the stuff inside to make it flatter. Putting a rolled pillow under my knees and pillows on both sides of my face can help.
This is the pillow...remember I have to take some of the stuffing out to make it flat enough.
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Sobakawa-Buckwheat-Pillow-Sized/dp/B000FJQCP8

I think the tip of keeping the sheets freshly washed is a good one....I am going to try to be more diligent with that.

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:56 am

Toby wrote:

I went from sleeping on my side to my back and these are some tips that helped me. I use a very flat pillow(and I mean flat). I also have a Original Sobakawa Buckwheat Pillow and I take out some of the stuff inside to make it flatter. Putting a rolled pillow under my knees and pillows on both sides of my face can help.
This is the pillow...remember I have to take some of the stuffing out to make it flat enough.
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Sobakawa-Buckwheat-Pillow-Sized/dp/B000FJQCP8

I think the tip of keeping the sheets freshly washed is a good one....I am going to try to be more diligent with that.

Also I tried the Save your face pillow and it didn't work for me at all.

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2012 11:08 am

I second the option to sleep with a pillow under your knees one of those bolster pillows is great for this. Also a silk pillow case which is great for your skin and hair (so if you go on your side while asleep it works as damage limitation).

I also think a Cervical Pillow of some kinds helps, I prefer the one with the dip in the middle rather than the firmer foam pillows although I do actually have a neck problem so I choose this for comfort more than sleeping on my back, it does help though.

free skin care · Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:32 am

Toby wrote:

I went from sleeping on my side to my back and these are some tips that helped me. I use a very flat pillow(and I mean flat). I also have a Original Sobakawa Buckwheat Pillow and I take out some of the stuff inside to make it flatter. Putting a rolled pillow under my knees and pillows on both sides of my face can help.
This is the pillow...remember I have to take some of the stuffing out to make it flat enough.
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Sobakawa-Buckwheat-Pillow-Sized/dp/B000FJQCP8

I think the tip of keeping the sheets freshly washed is a good one....I am going to try to be more diligent with that.

Toby,

When you said "I use a very flat pillow(and I mean flat). I also have a Original Sobakawa Buckwheat Pillow..." is the very flat pillow that you first referred to the deflated buckwheat pillow you mentioned in the second sentence, or another pillow? Thanks!

Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:18 pm

Thank you so much for your advice. Since starting this thread, I have been laying many evenings, but then thinking "Oh well, I'll start tomorrow" and have then rolled over.
Learning to sleep on my back is one of my new years resolutions though, so now I'll start now putting all your great tips and advice to use Smile

.

My pillow is very flat, as it will otherwise be uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach as I tend to do, so I think I'll look in to the state of my mattress.

free skin care · Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:21 pm

I find it very helpful to use one of those devices that are supposed to stop tooth grinding - not for grinding, but to keep the mouth closed and moisturised. If I don't use it, I wake up thirsty.

& I second the buckwheat pillow!

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