Sleep posture: stomach sleeping

Stomach sleeping.  Widely regarded as the worst of all three sleeping positions. I'm inclined to agree, but I think there are ways you can make it much less harsh on your body. 

Major problem areas: neck, & hips/low back.

HIPS/LOW BACK

If you're like most of us, you sleep with one leg up like the picture above. This puts torque (a twist) on your hips, which may create problems for you after a while. It may surface as pain/tension in your hips & legs, or low back. Our low back is unsupported with the curve flattened in this position. One way to bolster your low back is to put a small pillow under your abdomen.

The iliopsoas comes into play here as well. Shown above, Iliacus + Psoas minor/major = Iliopsoas. Commonly referred to as psoas (pronounced "so-az"). This momumental deep hip flexor (also a very relevant low back muscle) is capable of causing a wide variety of dysfunction. If this muscle is stretched and stressed all night every night, it can contribute to rotation at the trunk, one hip being higher than the other, pain in a variety of areas. Being directly connected to the spine and pelvis, its influence is strong.

Other than mechanical stress, this muscle is prone to emotional holdings. The stomach is a highly emotionally charged area of the body, and whether you believe it or not, emotion gets held in the tissues of our body. Having bodywork done here can be unreal! If you seek it out, make sure you have somebody with whom you're comfortable and can communicate. It is an area you need to be careful in, and you need to trust your body and speak up if there's pain or if it feels like they are on top of something they shouldn't be on.

NECK

Since your neck has to be turned to one side for this position, that can create a multitude of issues in the neck and shoulder. All sorts of muscles get twisted and stretched out of alignment. Not much I can think of in terms of remedy, but try to reduce the overall degree of rotation you have. Also try to switch sides and roll over when you can. Variety is good.

If you have thick pillows, consider a thinner pillow to start. The more height the pillow is adding to your head, the more strain you're putting on your neck in this turned position.

Sleep posture: sleeping on your back

Supine sleeping (on your back)

Biggest problem areas I see here are with the neck, and the knees.


NECK

You want your neck in a straight line.

With too much cushion under your head, you're stretching the back of your neck. Too much of our lives are spent hunched forward - over a book, over a phone, at a desk... It's important to give your neck a break.

A small pillow that fills the space between your neck and the bed is ideal. If you can see your feet, your pillow is probably too big.


KNEES

For most of us, lying on our back on a flat surface is actually putting our knee in a state of hyperextension (locked knees, at the end point of unbending one's knee). To put the most ease into the joint, we want the knees in a little bit of flexion (bent).Even just a five degree bend is better for your knees. This is especially important for those of us with knee issues.

Lastly, if sleeping on your back creates low back pain, consider (small) pillow support in the small of your back.