Ultimately you can sleep against anything, even a vertical surface with no troubles. At the beginning, two pillows should work: one to sit on and one to cushion your back. After about two weeks I stopped using the pillows and now lean directly on the board, with no comfort issues.
The single most important part of upright sleeping is lower back support. At the same time it will slope your body so that your head is leaning back onto the surface behind you. This makes it easier to fall asleep and avoid neck pain. A rolled up towel or small pillow behind the lower back gets you the shape you need. A seat cushion has a nice shape to support the neck without shoving the head forward.
But it makes the transition easier for beginners. Err on the thin side. If you have a small enough pillow you can support the neck without anything behind the head at all. The easiest way is just to tie a scarf around your board and use it like a seatbelt for your head.
I think most people just decide that however they were raised is the natural way, and anything that looks really different must be uncomfortable. But just like switching from sleeping on your side to sleeping on your back, after a short period of adjustment it becomes normal.
When I sleep upright I have a very light, but amazingly refreshing sleep. I can jump right up without that usual feeling of disorientation that comes after sleep, which has led to not hitting the coffee so hard.
Is it something you could use when traveling? Or maybe even at home? If you try it out, share your experience. How hard is the adjustment period, and do you end up with the same refreshing sleep that I did? Drew Jacob is an adventurer and philosopher. Learn how to start a blog in less than an hour. Follow the step-by-step instructions we used when starting our blog, which now has reached more than 20 million people.
Creating this blog is one of the best decisions Ryan and I ever made. After all, our blog is how we earn a living. Common allergy symptoms like nasal congestion, runny nose, or shortness of breath can keep you up all night, causing you to lose precious sleep.
In these cases, resting while sitting in upright position could have a positive impact, like when you're battling nighttime congestion; this is because sitting upright is known to help drain your nasal passages, making breathing— and sleeping— much easier. As mentioned earlier, REM sleep causes the muscles to weaken, including the neck.
As you fall asleep, your head will inevitably drop to the side. According to health experts, muscle strains are a primary cause of neck pain , but they go on to say that a good sleep position should help prevent this from happening. For those who sleep sitting up , the right chair should help you avoid discomfort. Keep in mind, there are several key features to look for.
First, make sure the seat has adequate lumbar support to keep your lower back in alignment. Secondly, choose an ergonomic chair, which is specially designed to provide optimal comfort. To achieve the best posture, put your feet flat on the floor, square with your knees. Next, roll your shoulders back and position yourself so that your feet, hips, and knees are all facing forward.
The goal here is to keep your body in proper alignment. Some travelers will request a window seat in order to lean on the window when they sleep, or drivers who need a nap break at a rest stop use their steering wheel as a substitute pillow. Leaning on objects while seated might seem comfortable at the moment, but this throws your spine out of alignment, which could lead to muscle strain and pain later on. If you enjoy traveling, you've likely encountered people carrying U-shaped neck pillows; these clever cushions are enormously beneficial for posture.
These pillows are designed to alleviate neck pain by providing support, keeping your head upright and comfortable as you sleep. For those who plan to sleep this way while at home, consider purchasing a well-made wedge pillow.
These types of pillows typically come in a triangular shape and are available in different sizes. They offer sleepers a casual incline so that you can sleep with your top half elevated. However, they can also be placed in a fully upright position for watching television, reading, or in this case, sleeping. Another vital fact to consider when sleeping sitting up is that it can increase your risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis DVT , which is when a blood clot forms in a limb. This condition can occur when you experience uninterrupted sitting for long periods at a time, like on airplanes.
It could, in some cases, raise your risk of deep-vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a limb that can occur if your arms or legs are bent and you are motionless for hours. This sometimes occurs in people who sit still for long periods of time in an airplane seat. But provided you are comfortable and can recline back slightly, there should be few risks to sleeping upright, assuming it doesn't interfere with your ability to get a good night's sleep.
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