Sleeping like a baby
I would guess most of us established a sleep position preference long ago. I can never remember sleeping any other way than on my side in the fetus position.
But I like to give both sides a chance. Since I broke my hip, I find myself mentally planning out my night before putting my head on the pillow, so as to minimize the time on my right side, where the slice through my muscle still causes me some discomfort.
It actually becomes a fine science, much like the recipe for grilling salmon. Whenever I wake up, I roll over and sleep on the other side.
Nuts? Well, probably. But it does seem to contribute to a necessary balance in my life.
So tell me, how do you sleep? Do you ever think about it or does nature just take its course?
posted by Barbara at 2:02 PM
8 Comments:
I generally start out in the fetus position on my left side, then roll around all night long, trying out all different sleeping styles. Mostly, though, it's one side or the other. Early in my marriage, I woke to see Joe sleeping on his back with his arms crossed over his chest, kind of like a dead man. Gave me quite a start!
I am a thrasher so I take every position but most often I am in freefaller.
I sleep facing the outside of the bed. when I wake up, I sit up, and move my head to where my feet were. I think this might disturb Dr. R., but when I explained that I wake up happier, because my hips have given each other a rest, I think he understands. Ever since grad school, twenty-five years ago, I have had absolutely no problem in falling asleep. When I had to use a cpap (night breathing machine that keep my breathing steady all night), I found that I could fall asleep in sort of a stimulus-response pattern. So now it's "put on the mask = fall deeply asleep". I guess I am lucky that way. I am always the first person to be hynotized... so there you go!
I sleep on my stomach with an arm under my head and the other outstretched. It doesn't matter which arm does what. On my back, I sleep with knees bent, poking up in the air. On my side, I curl up into a ball. Most often, though, I sleep on my stomach with my head on my arm and the other outstretched. Toward the wall. Across the bed. It makes me happy.
My natural position is flat on my back with my arms down - the "soldier" position in your illustration. But the second I hear snoring I curl into the fetal position, aimed away from the offending sound.
I must have been a hedgehog in a former life. I sleep curled in a ball though now that my hips have started to ache if I stay on one side too long I wake to stretch out and curl up on the other side. Can't remember the last time I slept deeply for more than four hours at a time.
I'm a freefaller, though sometimes I keep one arm by my side while the other is under the pillow. I also sleep on my side sometimes, but not usually in a fetal position.
I hit them all but I always start on my side (in what I guess is the yearner position). I always go through them all before the night is through. Interesting question, interesting answers.
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