Sleeping while sitting can be beneficial for pregnant women as well as people with shoulder injuries. But in general, it is not recommended because it can burden the joints and trigger body and neck pain.
Table of Content
1. Are there benefits to sleeping while sitting?
2. The risk of sleeping while sitting
3. Better sleeping position than sleeping sitting up
Sleeping while sitting for many people may not be considered an ideal position. Even so, there are many conditions that make us have to sleep in a sitting position, such as when we are on a long trip.
So, does sleeping in this position have a significant effect on health? Here’s the explanation.
Are there benefits to sleeping while sitting?
Actually, there are no special benefits that you can get if you sleep in a sitting position. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. For some people, sleeping sitting up is more comfortable and makes them sleep more soundly.
Experts are of the opinion that sleeping sitting up is not an ideal position, but that doesn’t prohibit it either. Especially if this sleeping position is the only one that can make you sleep.
There are several conditions that make a person more comfortable sleeping while sitting, including:
1. Morbid obesity
2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
3. Just had shoulder surgery
4. Having a cold or having a stuffy nose
5. Pregnant women in the last trimester
Especially for pregnant women whose stomach size is large, the recommended sleeping position is actually facing the side. However, if it is not comfortable, pregnant women can try a half-sitting sleeping position by propping their back with a pillow.
The half-sitting sleeping position is also useful for pregnant women who have a history of digestive disorders, such as heartburn or heartburn.
The risk of sleeping while sitting
Although sleeping while sitting is not completely opposed by experts, there are health risks that may occur if this habit is carried out continuously. Neck pain and deep vein thrombosis are some of them.
1. Neck pain
During sleep, there are times when the muscles in the body weaken. This is the reason when a person sleeps in a sitting position, usually the unsupported body part such as the neck will move to the side, making the head fall.
If your neck is not supported properly, you may experience neck pain when you wake up.
That is why, if you have to sleep in a sitting position, use a neck pillow for support so that the risk of neck pain can be reduced.
2. Deep vein thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of a blood clot in a vein in the leg area. This is one of the side effects of sleeping in a sitting position that can occur and needs to be watched out for.
DVT can develop if you sleep while sitting for long periods of time. The formation of blood clots in the legs is actually not too dangerous a condition.
However, these blood clots in the legs can travel to the lungs and trigger a dangerous complication known as a pulmonary embolism.
Pulmonary embolism is a condition when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood in the lungs and can cause serious problems.
Symptoms of DVT include:
1. Swelling in the legs
2. Nyeri
3. Redness
4. Warm feeling in the affected area
If you feel symptoms of DVT, it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor before the condition develops into a dangerous pulmonary embolism. According To Medical Centric Deep vein thrombosis, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment. More health updates follow Medial Centric.
Better sleeping position than sleeping sitting up
There are other sleeping positions that are considered more ideal, namely sleeping on your side, sleeping on your back, on your stomach, and curled up. Each sleeping position has advantages and disadvantages, depending on the health condition of each person.
1. Sleep on your side
The side sleeping position is good for those of you who have a history of stomach pain, such as heartburn or if you often snore. However, for those of you who have a history of shoulder pain, this sleeping position can actually make the condition worse.
Sleeping on the side also in some people can cause jaw pain on the side that is on the surface of the mattress or pillow.
2. Sleep on your back
Sleeping on your back is the sleeping position that can provide the most health benefits. Sleeping in this position can relieve knee and back pain. Supine is also good for the spine.
Being in a supine position helps reduce the burden or excess pressure on the joints, so it is good for those of you who have a history of joint pain. This sleeping position will also prevent facial skin wrinkles because there is no pressure applied to the face while sleeping.
Although it has many benefits, the supine sleeping position is usually uncomfortable for people who snore frequently, have a history of back pain, or sleep apnea.
3. Sleep curled up
Sleeping curled up or what is known as the fetal position is one of the most common sleeping positions. Sleeping in this position, is good for those who experience low back pain, pregnant women, or who have problems with snoring.
However, if you have a history of joint pain due to stiff joints and breathing problems, this sleeping position is not highly recommended.
4. Sleep on your stomach
Sleeping on your stomach is the most ideal sleeping position for people who often snore or have sleep apnea. However, this position can often trigger neck and back pain.
Sleeping on the stomach makes the burden on the muscles and joints become greater, so it is not uncommon to trigger pain and aches when you wake up.
The ideal sleeping position for each person can be different. If you are one of the most comfortable sleeping sitting people, pay attention to other things that can make sleeping more soundly and not harmful to the body, such as preparing a good support for sleeping in a sitting condition.