One of the changes I encourage patients to make in their lives after receiving chiropractic care is to stop sleeping on their stomach. A surprising number of people are shocked to hear that this is detrimental to them.

If you don’t believe me, try walking around with your head turned to one side. It won’t take long for you to begin feeling pain, soreness, dizziness or neck/shoulder tension. Your body doesn’t like this standing up, and I promise you that it doesn’t like it when you’re lying face down with your head on a pillow either.

The fact is, wrenching your head and neck in this way for even just a few minutes while sleeping can significantly strain the muscles and ligaments of the spine. Repeatedly doing so every night for years slowly adds pressure to the joints and nerves, contributing to spinal degeneration and allowing for the development of a variety of health problems.

What type of health problems, you ask? Among other things, a 2015 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that stomach-sleeping could increase your chances of developing Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other neurological diseases.

While sleeping on your stomach may feel good and seem perfectly acceptable, so does picking your nose to a 4-year-old (and then eating the treasure). They’re both bad habits, and neither of them are okay!

If you’d like to learn how to stop sleeping on your stomach, this article will explain how.

This pillow can also help.

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