IS YOUR SLEEPING POSITION RUINING YOUR SLEEP? TRY THIS TONIGHT TO FIND OUT
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Think your sleep position doesn’t really matter? Think again. Recent research* with wearable sleep trackers shows that your favourite sleeping position affects sleep quality. This influences how often you wake up and how deeply you sleep. Here’s what the science says (and how to use it to your advantage).
THE SCIENCE BEHIND SLEEPING POSITIONS
Researchers placed flexible sensors on participants to track their sleep for 15 nights. They monitored movement, sleep stages, and restfulness. The results? Clear patterns showed that your preferred sleep position and how much you move at night greatly affect how rested you feel in the morning.
RIGHT SIDE SLEEPING
If you’re a side sleeper—particularly favouring your right—you’re onto a winner. Participants who had a preference to sleep on their right side woke up less often. They enjoyed longer deep sleep and had better sleep efficiency overall.
LEFT SIDE SLEEPING
Left side sleepers also did well, but they scored a bit lower in sleep quality than those who sleep on their right side. Still, left-side sleeping has perks, especially if you deal with acid reflux or heartburn.
BACK SLEEPING (SUPINE POSITION)
Back sleepers woke up more often and said their sleep quality was slightly worse than side sleepers. That said, this position is often recommended for spinal alignment and reducing pressure on joints—so it’s far from all bad news.
STOMACH SLEEPING (PRONE POSITION)
Very few participants preferred stomach sleeping, so data was limited. But we know stomach sleepers often deal with neck strain and lower back discomfort. Oh, and here’s something unexpected. Turns out, sleeping on your stomach increases the likelihood of wet dreams. Why? More pressure against sensitive areas, thanks to the mattress. And in classic medical fashion, doctors had to label it “nocturnal emissions.” Honestly—could you not?
THE IMPACT OF MOVING DURING SLEEP
One of the biggest takeaways from the study was how movement affects sleep quality. The more you move, the poorer your sleep tends to be. All that shifting interrupts your sleep cycles. It’s no surprise to learn that those who moved less during the night were more likely to wake up feeling refreshed.
Nobody stays in one position all night. Most of us move positions between 10 and 40 times without realising it. It’s your body’s built-in system to:
Relieve pressure points
Keep blood flowing
Prevent numb limbs
Regulate temperature
HOW SLEEPWEAR IMPACTS MOVEMENT
Here’s something people don’t often think about: what you wear to bed affects your sleep.
Overheating, feeling cold, experiencing restriction, or wearing fabrics that don’t dissipate sweat well, like cotton, will cause discomfort. This discomfort will make you change positions more often, disrupting your sleep.
That’s why we design our sleepwear with:
SWEAT-WICKING BREATHABLE FABRICS to keep your body temperature stable.
FOUR-WAY STRETCH to move with you, not against you.
MINIMAL SEAMS AND SLEEP-SPECIFIC FITS to avoid friction when you inevitably shuffle your arms and legs around.
The goal? Keep you comfy, cool, and undisturbed—so when your body moves, it doesn’t drag you back to wakefulness.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you often wake up feeling unrested or just want to improve your sleep, a simple switch to sleeping on your right side could be a game-changer. Give it a try tonight and see how you feel. Remember, even an extra 15 minutes of sleep each night adds up to nearly two extra hours a week. Small changes compound and can have a big impact.
*That research we referenced above: Zhang, Y., Xiao, A., Zheng, T., Xiao, H., & Huang, R. (2022). The Relationship between Sleeping Position and Sleep Quality: A Flexible Sensor-Based Study. Sensors, 22(16), 6220.
