A CHIROPRACTOR has pointed out common faults in sleeping positions, and why they could be damaging your health.

Dr Anthony Vuckovich’s videos have reached millions of people, who are shocked that they were “doing everything wrong” in bed.

His most viral clip, seen by 21 million people on TikTok, revealed those that kip on their front might end up with a curved spine.

Those who sleep on their side could experience numbness and tingling.

We usually associate these problems with poor posture or sitting at a desk all day.

But how you rest at night could be to blame –  you could unknowingly be in an awkward position for more than an hour.

Front sleeper 

Dr Vuckovich, who own Victory Chiropractic in Frankfort, Kentucky, said: “When you're sleeping on your stomach like this, right now there's all this compression in my lower back here. 

“The common habit is people like to put this leg up high, and sleep with their arms up.”

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The practitioner lifted his right knee upwards while putting his arms above his head with the elbows bent.

He said: “This is now going to cause rotation in the sacrum [bottom five vertebrae of the spinal column], as well as the lumbar spine [vertebrae above the sacrum], which your body is going to adapt to and put a curve in your lower back.”

Dr Vuckovich suggested that sleeping in this position could lead to curvature of the spine.

Stomach sleepers are rarer but considered more at risk of aches and pains because it’s an unnatural position for the body to rest in.

Not only is the neck always in a turned position and the spine is twisted, but the knee joints may be under pressure as they are pointed downward into the mattress. 

You can try and relieve the pressure on your lower back by putting a pillow under your stomach.

Prevent turning over into this position during the night by hugging a large pillow against your chest while on your side.

Side sleeper

Meanwhile, those who sleep on their side may be familiar with numbness and pain through the shoulder.

Dr Vuckovich said you should never rest directly onto the side of your shoulder, and instead slip onto the back of the joint.

Otherwise, you could put compression on the brachial plexus –  a network of nerves in the shoulder that connect to the arm and hands – which could lead to numbness.

He said the nose, chin and sternum (centre of the chest) should line up when sleeping on the side – this keeps the spine neutral. 

Placing a pillow between your knees, as demonstrated by Dr Vuckovich, keeps the hips, pelvis and spine aligned and relieves pressure on joints.

It’s recommended that those who like to sleep in the foetal position try to elongate their legs more.

Back sleeper

If you’re a back sleeper, you’ll be pleased to know this is regarded as the optimal position because weight is even distributed.

But there are still some areas you could improve on.

Dr Vuckovich advised putting a pillow underneath the knees to relieve pressure on the lower back, which may want to lift from the bed otherwise.

He suggested you should only sleep with one pillow when on your back – or at least two flatter ones.

Too many, he said, puts your neck in an unfavourable flexed position which in itself can cause issues.

Dr Vuckovich added that your arms should never go above your head and stay either on your stomach or down by your side.

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