A posture expert has lifted the lid on the only two sleeping positions he recommends for optimal spinal support, insisting that you should never lie on your stomach.
British James Leinhardt, from Manchester, is the founder of foam mattress and pillow brand Levitex, who has more than 648,000 followers on TikTok.
The CEO has been working for more than a decade with seriously injured and chronically ill patients to improve their sleep and quality of life.
leinhardt went viral after sharing that of all the popular sleeping positions, only two have earned his seal of approval.
James Leinhardt, a sleeping position expert from Manchester, England, went viral on TikTok after sharing the only two sleeping positions he recommends for optimal spinal support.
The first position he recommended was the ‘soldier’ position, which is lying on your back.
“If you’re lying on your back, your spine is immediately supported by the mattress and you have the most even distribution of body weight,” he explained.
‘If you put a pillow under your knees, you’ll find that you tilt your pelvis slightly and more of your back is now touching the bed. It is better supported.
The second one she touted was “dreamer,” a semi-fetal position lying on her side with a pillow between her knees and ankles for added support.
“Clinical evidence dictates that you put the least amount of stress through your spine in the lateral position,” he said.
‘You want your ears, your shoulders, your hips, your knees (and) your ankles all stacked on top of each other.
“If you put a pillow between your knees and ankles, then you’re going to take the weight off your upper leg and keep it better supported,” he added.
Leinhardt noted that he’s totally against stomach sleeping “unless you have some kind of clinical reason for lying on your stomach, which is very rare.”
The first position he suggested was that of ‘soldier’, who is lying on his back. “If he’s lying on his back, his spine immediately rests on the mattress,” he explained.
The second one she touted was “dreamer,” a semi-fetal position lying on her side with a pillow between her knees and ankles for added support.
Experts agree that sleeping on your back and side are the best positions, but many commenters insisted that you can only fall asleep when on your stomach.
Do you sleep in one of two magical sleeping positions? she asked herself in the caption.
The video has been viewed more than 2.2 million times and has received hundreds of comments since it was posted on July 24.
Experts agree that sleeping on your back and side are the best positions, but many insisted that you can only fall asleep when on your stomach.
“The clinical reason is that I physically can’t sleep unless I’m on my stomach,” one person responded.
I have tried not to sleep on my stomach. Sorry, I’d rather not support my back perfectly than not sleep at all,” added another.
“I ALWAYS get sleep paralysis when I sleep on my back,” another shared. ‘I only sleep on one side because of that.’
Leinhardt recently awarded the “Worst Sleeping Position Award” to sleeping on your stomach because of the stress it puts on your neck and spine.
“You’re turning your neck, you’re twisting it, you’re holding your head up, (and) you’re fighting all the natural curves of your spine,” he explained in the video.
You are compressing your vertebrae. You’re having pins and needles, neck pain, (and) back pain, and you’re still doing it every night. Because?’
