Ever wake up feeling like your body’s been through a wrestling match—stiff from head to toe? Do you feel unrefreshed after a whole night in bed? Perhaps shoulder pain or a numb arm after sleeping on your side is not uncommon. These issues may stem from poor sleeping positions that can sap your energy and throw your entire day off balance.

On the “She’s Health” program of NTDTV, a sister media outlet of The Epoch Times, spinal health expert Dr. Yun-Long Zheng shared practical ways to correct sleep posture and pre-sleep relaxation techniques. These methods help ease discomfort in your shoulders, neck, and spine, paving the way for deeper, more restorative sleep.

3 Steps to Self-Check Your Sleep Posture

Sleeping on your back and on your side are healthy postures, provided that the pillow height and body positioning are correct. Zheng suggests using the following three simple checkpoints to determine whether your sleep posture is proper:

• Is Your Breathing Effortless? Stand up straight and feel the ease of natural breathing. Then, lie on your back or side and compare whether your breathing remains equally smooth. If the pillow is too high, it may cause your chin to tuck in slightly, making breathing more labored.


• Is Your Tongue Resting Naturally? Your tongue should naturally settle against your upper palate, cozy and comfortable. If your pillow is too high or too low, it can disrupt this natural position, indicating that your sleep posture needs adjustment. Find a pillow height that lets your tongue rest effortlessly in place.


• Is Your Head Angle Properly Aligned? When sleeping on your back, choose a pillow that’s not too lofty—your forehead should sit about 5 degrees higher than your chin to keep your mouth gently closed, discourage mouth breathing, and promote smooth, easy breaths. When sleeping on your side, a higher pillow is needed to fill the gap created by shoulder height, allowing your head to rest in perfect alignment for a restful sleep.

According to Zheng, some pillows are specially designed with a “supine sleeping zone (low)” and a “side sleeping zone (high),” such as a “butterfly pillow,” which is low in the center and high on both sides, catering to the needs of both supine and side sleeping.

Some people are accustomed to sleeping on their side in the “supine sleeping zone,” he said, where the pillow is too low, causing the head to be compressed and tilted, and the lumbar spine to rotate excessively, which can lead to pelvic anterior tilt or spinal misalignment over time.

How to Choose the Right Pillow

Zheng said the ideal choice supports supine and side sleeping. If a “butterfly pillow” is not available, you can use towels or books to elevate both sides of the pillow, allowing you to sleep in the low center for supine positions and on the higher sides for side sleeping. However, this approach requires daily repositioning. When selecting or adjusting pillow height, you should check whether “breathing is smooth and the tongue can naturally rest against the palate” as the standard test.

Pre-Sleep Posture Practice

Maintaining incorrect sleeping postures over time can lead to shoulder and neck compression, potentially affecting nerve conduction. In severe cases, it may compress the brachial plexus or the median nerve, causing numbness in the arm and even shoulder joint adhesions. These issues do not arise overnight but result from the accumulation of long-term, incorrect habits.

Developing correct sleeping posture requires practice. Since people cannot consciously control their posture during deep sleep, Zheng suggests performing a “roll-over practice” before bed each night. Start by rolling from the right to the left, then back to the supine position, allowing the body to become familiar with the correct roll-over pattern and build the habit. This way, even during deep sleep, the roll-over posture can remain relatively correct.

Zheng demonstrated that when lying down, first position the pillow close to the shoulder line, then slightly stretch the body toward the head of the bed. After lying down, lift your head slightly, shift your neck toward the head of the bed, and then take deep breaths. If breathing feels smooth, the posture is correct.

When transitioning to side sleeping, during the roll-over, slightly shift your hips, while keeping your shoulders stationary. The thighs should form approximately a 135-degree angle with the body, curved like a small shrimp. You can place your hands however feels comfortable, either naturally extended forward or hugging a pillow. As long as breathing remains smooth, you can fall asleep with ease.

4 Soothing Pre-Sleep Stretches

Beyond perfecting your sleep posture, incorporating gentle stretches before bed can help calm both body and mind, warding off the restlessness that often hinders falling asleep. Zheng recommends these four soothing pre-sleep movements to promote relaxation and ensure a restful night:

1. Side-Lying Arm Circles

Step 1: While lying on your side, extend both arms straight with your hands clasped together.

Step 2: Slowly extend one arm forward, then draw a circle along the bed surface over your head, stretching the arm out to the side of your body.

Step 3: Take three deep breaths, inhaling for three seconds and exhaling for six seconds.

Repeat the circle three times, then switch to the other side. After completing the exercise, your chest and back will feel open, and you’ll feel very relaxed.

2. Knee-Hug Bounce

Some people feel discomfort when lying flat due to a gap under the lower back, prompting them to switch to side sleeping. This is often because the lower back and back muscles are unable to relax.

Step 1: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent.

Step 2: Hug your knees close to your chest and gently rock your body back and forth, bouncing lightly 100 times. This helps relax the spine and relieve muscle tension caused by prolonged sitting.

Step 3: After completing the knee-hug bounce, keep one leg hugged to your chest while extending the other leg straight onto the bed surface. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds to one minute, then switch to the other side. This helps relax the hips and lower back.

3. Figure 4 Hip Rotation

Step 1: Lie flat on your back with both knees bent. Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, forming a “4” shape.

Step 2: Use both hands to hold the supporting thigh, lift the foot off the bed and pull it toward your chest.

Step 3: Gently twist your body to the left and then to the right, keeping your legs close to the bed surface as you return your back to a flat position and open your chest and arms for a stretch.

Step 4: Perform three to five deep breaths, then return to the starting position.

This movement helps release tension in the hips and lower back.

4. Lumbar Stretch

If your lower back often feels sore and the previous stretches haven’t fully relaxed it, you can try the lumbar stretch.

Step 1: Lie flat on your back with a thin towel under your lower back, behind the navel.

Step 2: Extend both arms backward and straight beside of your head.

Step 3: Alternately stretch your left and right arms, moving slowly and gently releasing force to help relax the lumbar spine.

Pre-Sleep Rituals and Lifestyle Tweaks

Along with stretching exercises, restorative sleep often requires adjusting daily habits. Zheng shared some practical tips to help with falling asleep:

1. Sleep Reminder Ritual

A consistent sleep schedule primes your body for faster, deeper sleep. While people are used to setting alarms to wake up in the morning, Zheng suggests setting a “reminder alarm” at a fixed time before bed to prompt you to put down your phone, do some stretches, and prepare for sleep. This small cue can help you establish a sleep ritual.

2. Don’t Force Sleep

If you’re tossing and turning, unable to sleep, avoid staying in bed. Instead, get up and take a brief walk or engage in gentle stretches or calming activities. Return to bed only when sleepiness begins to set in, which will help you fall asleep more naturally and quickly.

Zheng suggests redirecting your attention to your body before bed. Concentrate on mindful stretching and smooth breathing to anchor yourself in the present moment. “The more you release distractions and let your body unwind, the deeper and more restful your sleep will be!”