Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. On average, people spend a third of their life asleep. The quality and quantity of your sleep can effect your health and outlook on life. According to sleep experts, most people need eight hours of sleep and that up to 80 % of the population suffers from sleep deprivation. If you are getting less than the right amount of sleep for your mind and body to perform well during the day, you are sleep deprived.

It is not always possible to increase the number of hours available for sleep, but it is possible to increase the quality of your sleep. A good place to start is the position in which you sleep. A person should sleep in a position that they find comfortable and relaxing, but also sleep in a position that will not contribute to pain, or aggravate spinal problems. The three main sleep positions are back, side, and stomach.

Sleeping on your back can be one of the least stressful positions and is usually recommended for proper spinal alignment. If you sleep on your back, avoid thick pillows under your head that can force the head forward and put constant stress on the upper back and neck. Over time, this persistent forward pressure may affect the normal curvature of the upper back and neck, leading to possible additional spinal ailments.

Sleeping on the side with knees bent is probably the most common sleeping position. It is essential to use enough pillows to prop your head so that it is level with the rest of the spinal column. Sleeping on your side may also help reduce the possibility of snoring. Side sleeping is usually suggested for those with low back conditions and expectant mothers because it enhances relaxation, especially to the lower back. Pregnant women may also find it helpful to place another pillow between the knees in this position.

Normally, it is recommended that you avoid sleeping on your stomach. When sleeping on your stomach your face is turned to either the extreme right or the left in order to breathe. This may cause undue stress in the joints of the cervical spine, as well as stretching and/or shortening of muscles and ligaments on one side of the spine or the other. Symptoms of stomach sleeping may include neck and shoulder stiffness, wry neck, and morning headaches. Generally a stiffer mattress will allow for better spinal alignment for the stomach sleeper.