Do you prefer to sleep on your back, side, or stomach? However, it turns out that sleeping positions could be a warning sign for health issues, especially the “hands raised over the head” posture! According to mainland Chinese media citing doctors, if you feel very relaxed and comfortable sleeping with your “hands raised over your head”, you may likely have conditions such as cervical spondylosis and periarthritis, which should not be ignored. Doctors also suggest adding one item when sleeping to help muscles relax and protect the spine.
As per mainland media reports, recently, mainland netizens have been discussing sleeping positions, with most preferring “side sleeping”, followed by “hands raised over the head”, believing that this posture is more relaxing and stress-relieving when sleeping. However, this sleeping position could signify health problems!
The report cites doctors saying that if you feel very relaxed and comfortable sleeping with “hands raised over your head”, there is a high probability of suffering from different degrees of “cervical spondylosis” and “periarthritis”. This position can relieve neck and shoulder pressure, hence patients unconsciously raise their hands over their heads.
Apart from disease, it could also indicate physical fatigue. Doctors explain that if your arms are sore or overly tired, this posture can help alleviate the symptoms of soreness, fatigue, and discomfort, making you feel very relaxed. However, this situation also warrants attention to body warning signs, “Either way, it shows that your body is relatively tired and needs this specific posture to relieve it.”
The doctor also commented on common sleeping positions, including lying on your back, side, and stomach, believing each has its pros and cons. For instance, “lying on the back” allows the body to relax most, with better body and brain blood circulation; “side sleeping” can prevent the soft tissues of the throat and the tongue from falling back.
However, the doctor clearly stated that if considering protecting the spine, “lying flat” is the suitable position. But since “lying flat” does not conform to the body’s spinal curve, he suggests placing a cushion at the neck, waist, and popliteal fossa (behind the knee joint) – places with curvature. This can better support the curvature, allowing muscles to relax more and aiding spinal recovery.