Сон на животі може спричиняти біль у спині та шиї: чим небезпечна ця поза

07.10.2026, 09:20◉ 02 min readEditorial team “SHCHO STALOSIA”

Експерти пояснили, чому не варто спати на животі.

English translation is temporarily unavailable. The Ukrainian original is shown.

The habit of sleeping on your stomach can cause morning neck stiffness, lower back pain, and shoulder discomfort. The problem arises due to the fact that during a long stay in this position of the spine, it is more difficult to maintain the natural position.

Unpleasant sensations can also occur in the shoulders. If the hand is under the head or pillow during sleep, the joint remains in an uncomfortable position for a long time. In addition, due to pressure on the nerves, temporary numbness or tingling in the arm sometimes occurs.

At the same time, sleeping on your stomach is not necessarily harmful to everyone. In some people, this posture may reduce snoring because the upper airway is less prone to constriction than when sleeping on the back. However, if a person regularly wakes up with neck or back pain, it is worth trying a different sleeping position and paying attention to the pillow and mattress.

Details

If the numbness of the hands is often repeated, lasts a long time, also occurs during the day or is accompanied by muscle weakness, you should not explain this only by an uncomfortable posture during sleep — the cause of the symptoms is better discussed with your doctor.

Recall that scientists emphasize that there is no universal "right" position for sleep — the best one is the one that does not cause pain, helps to breathe freely and supports the spine. Sleeping on the side can reduce snoring and apnea symptoms, and positioning on the left side potentially contributes to the brain's glymphatic system. Sleeping on your back helps keep your spine in a neutral position, but may increase snoring and apnea.

Context

When a person sleeps on his stomach, his head has to be turned to the side to breathe normally. Because of this, the neck remains turned in one direction for several hours, which can lead to muscle tension and stiffness after waking up. A high pillow can additionally increase the load on the neck and shoulders.

What's next

On a soft mattress, the pelvis and abdomen may sink more deeply into the surface, causing the lower part of the spine to flex excessively. This can especially aggravate discomfort in people who already have a tendency to back pain.