The Healthiest Sleeping Posture

The Best: Back position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux.

Bad for: Snoring

The scoop: Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your head, neck, and spine to maintain a neutral position. You’re not forcing any extra curves into your back, It’s also ideal for fighting acid reflux; If the head is elevated, your stomach will be below your esophagus so acid or food can’t come back up.

Perfect pillow: One puffy one. The goal is to keep your head and neck supported without propping your head up too much.

Next Best: Side position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy

The scoop: Side-sleeping is great for overall health — it reduces snoring and keeps your spine elongated. If you suffer from acid reflux, this is the next best thing to sleeping on your back.

Consider this: If you’re pregnant, sleep on your left side. It’s ideal for blood flow.

Perfect pillow: A thick one. You need to fill the space above your shoulder so your head and neck are supported in a neutral position.

The Worst: Stomach position

Good for: Easing snoring

Bad for: Avoiding neck and back pain

The scoop: Stomach-sleeping makes it difficult to maintain a neutral position with your spine. What’s more, the pose puts pressure on joints and muscles, which can irritate nerves and lead to pain, numbness, and tingling.

Think about the soreness you’d feel if you kept your neck turned to one side for 15 minutes during the day, in this position you have your head to one side for hours at a time. You won’t necessarily feel it the next day, but you may soon start to ache.

Perfect pillow: Just one (and make it a thin one) or none at all.