Do you ever feel more tired after lying down, or even wake up with sore muscles and aches or shoulder hurts after sleeping-Sleep is supposed to recharge your body—so why do so many people feel worse after resting? The culprit might be your sleeping position.

①Back sleeping: The most recommended sleep position

Sleeping on your back puts the least pressure on your spine and helps keep your muscles and joints in a neutral position. This makes it easier for your body to relax and recover, making it the most spine-friendly sleep position.

However, back sleeping does come with a few things to watch out for↓

Don’t use a pillow that’s too high or too low.

If your pillow is too high, it forces your neck into a bent position—like looking down at your phone for hours. This strains the muscles and tissues at the back of your neck and upper back, leading to neck and shoulder pain.

On the other hand, a pillow that’s too low won’t support your neck properly, leaving those muscles tense and causing discomfort in your cervical spine.

Avoid sleeping with one leg bent up.

Many people like to sleep with one knee bent and flopped to the side, but holding this position for too long overstretches the inner hip muscles and twists your pelvis. Over time, this can throw your lower spine out of alignment, leading to hip and lower back pain.

How to use neck pillow

Your pillow shouldn't be too thick or too thin - when pressed down, it should be about as tall as your fist or slightly taller. Place the pillow so it fully supports the entire back of your neck, letting your cervical spine relax completely.

When lying on your back, many people notice a large gap between their lower back and the mattress, making it hard to relax. A simple fix? Place a pillow under your thighs or knees to slightly bend your hips and knees. This helps your lower back settle comfortably against the bed.

②How to Pillow-Support Your Side Sleeping

⏺︎Potential Issues with Side Sleeping

Similar to back sleeping, if your pillow is too high, your head gets pushed upward, forcing your neck into an awkward curve. On the flip side, a pillow that’s too low lets your head tilt down, pulling your neck the opposite way. Either way, this uneven strain overstretches soft tissues and joints on one side while compressing the other—throwing your spine out of balance.

Another common issue? Many side sleepers tuck their top leg forward, which twists the pelvis and lower spine like a corkscrew. Over time, this ‘pretzel posture’ strains muscles and ligaments on both sides of your back—leading to hip pain, lower backaches, or even mid-back stiffness.

⏺︎How to sleep on your side the right way

For most people, sleeping on your left or right side doesn’t make much difference. But if you’re in your third trimester of pregnancy, doctors usually recommend sleeping on your left side.

When sleeping on your side, your pillow should fully support both your neck and head, keeping your cervical spine parallel to the mattress. Placing a pillow against your chest can provide great support for your upper and lower arms. This helps keep your shoulder joints perpendicular to the bed, preventing excessive forward reach of the shoulders and avoiding too much rotation in your thoracic vertebra.

You can also place a pillow between your legs. This helps prevent overstretching of the hip tissues on the top side and keeps your pelvis and spine in a neutral position, reducing strain on your lower back.

③Sleeping on your stomach: The least recommended position

When you sleep on your stomach, you usually turn your head to the side to breathe. This puts a lot of pressure on the neck joints on the side your face is facing. If you stay in this position too long, the constant strain can lead to neck pain and even contribute to cervical spine issues over time—sometimes causing numbness in the arms.

At the same time When lying face down (prone), our chest and abdomen have less room to move, which can make breathing feel a bit restricted. Similar to side sleeping, people often bend one leg outward in this position. This twists the pelvis and lower spine, which may lead to discomfort in the lower back or hips.

④How firm or soft your mattress is also plays a big role in sleep quality.

If a mattress is too firm, especially for thinner people, it can feel like your bones are pressing directly against the hard surface. When sleeping on your side, the hip bones may bear excessive pressure, causing discomfort or even tissue damage from prolonged compression.

If a mattress is too soft, particularly for those with weaker muscles, it fails to support the spine properly. This forces the surrounding muscles to work overtime to stabilize your body, leaving you feeling more tired—not rested—after a night’s sleep.

For pregnant women, sleeping on your back or side is generally recommended during the first and second trimesters. In the third trimester, it's best to sleep on your left side. Try not to lie flat on your back for more than 5 minutes at a time during late pregnancy. When side-sleeping in your third trimester, you can place a thin blanket under your belly for extra support - this helps take pressure off and reduces that heavy, pulling feeling.

Also, maintaining a healthy sleep schedule and good muscle strength—keeping your muscles and fascia active—can greatly improve sleep quality and reduce morning stiffness.