It turns out we should all be taking a leaf of the pregnancy guidebook, and sleeping with a pillow between our legs.
Yep, you don’t have to have an occupied womb to be able to benefit from this position – although you will need to get an extra pillow.
Sleep specialists at Happy Beds explained that our favourite positions to sleep in might actually be doing us “more harm than good” (looking at you, curled up foetus position and starfish) – and so we should apparently be thinking twice before doing our usual nighttime wriggle.
Using a pillow in this way is known to promote better posture and support the muscles and alignments in your body.
We normally associate it with pregnancy, because it’s well-known that snoozing while expecting is not exactly easy.
But, there’s no reason we shouldn’t all be doing it, according to the experts.
Pillows reduce pressure on the lower back and hips
Popping a cushion between your legs can help anyone who has lower back pain, including those who suffer from period cramps, or people with varicose veins and sciatica.
Happy Beds’ experts said: “The alleviation can reduce swelling in your lower back, allowing you to receive a good night’s sleep.”
It also stops your hips from rotating, which can cause your spine to become unaligned – and that’s not something you really want to happen at night.
The experts said: “When your spine is aligned, the pressure is taken off nerves, in turn promoting a healthier night’s sleep.”
This can even reduce back pain the next day.
Pillows can eliminate muscle tension
It’s good to keep your knees apart through a pillow because it can put tension on your lower back and hips, as your legs pull from your spine.
It can help with snoring
A pillow between the legs also helps to keep your back in a neutral position – neither flat nor arched – by stopping your top leg from falling over your bottom leg.
This is known as the “straight” side sleeping position, and ideal for so many reasons.It can help with digestion, keeping your spine aligned and with that very annoying snoring habit your other half always complains about, as it opens up your airways.
Blood circulation
Happy Beds also claimed that just using a pillow can help your entire body.
They said: “Poor circulation can be caused when pressure is put onto the vena cava (a major vein carrying blood to your heart and back).
“Placing a pillow between your legs maintains a slight elevation and helps facilitate blood flow. ”
Yet another reason to steal all the pillows in the bed, then!