Why do some people like to raise their hands when sleeping? Keeping the "raised hands" sleeping posture for a long time may cause these injuries →

Have you ever had this experience:

I tried many different positions but couldn't fall asleep.

Raise your hands above your head occasionally

Found it very comfortable

Until I was awakened by the numbness in my arms

Why do some people raise their hands when they sleep?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of different sleeping positions?

Today is March 21st, World Sleep Day

Let’s talk about “sleeping posture”↓↓↓

Why do some people like to raise their hands when they sleep?

Raising your hands unconsciously when sleeping is due to excessive tension in the soft tissues of the neck and shoulders, which makes it difficult to fall asleep . Raising your hands can relieve this. Stiffness and tension in the neck and shoulders are likely caused by a disordered breathing pattern . Breathing and muscles are closely connected. Exhaling relaxes the body, while inhaling promotes muscle activity. A healthy breathing pattern is achieved by the diaphragm (the partition between the chest and abdominal cavities) sinking and lifting.

Generally speaking, diaphragm-led abdominal breathing is deeper and slower, which is very helpful in activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the visceral motor nerves in the nervous system), and can relax muscles throughout the body.

However, continuous stress and abnormal joint alignment caused by bad posture will cause the diaphragm to be unable to do its job. Breathing is shifted from being dominated by the diaphragm to being dominated by the shoulders, neck and chest, and respiratory compensation occurs. Chest breathing relies solely on the upward expansion of the ribs to inhale, and because it is accompanied by shrugging the shoulders, it will cause tension in the shoulder, neck and chest muscles.

Liking to raise your hands backwards when sleeping is related to compensatory breathing in the shoulders and neck:

Because the shoulder and neck muscles other than the diaphragm are frequently activated to participate in breathing, these muscles will become abnormally active. Even when you rest at night, the shoulders and neck will continue to "work" because of the continuous breathing.

At this time, you need to raise your arms to attract more blood and nutrients to continue to maintain the compensatory work of the shoulder and neck muscles, so you will not unconsciously raise your hands when you sleep.

The "hand-raised sleeping position" may cause these injuries. Although sleeping with your hands raised may feel comfortable in the short term, maintaining this sleeping position for a long time may have negative effects on your health.
Improve your sleeping posture in this way. If you often raise your hands above your head when sleeping, you can use the following methods to check and adjust your breathing pattern to improve your sleeping posture.

Recommended sleeping positions <br /> Different sleeping positions have their own advantages and disadvantages

You can "take the seat" according to your own situation

Choose a sleeping position that suits you

Lying on your back can help relieve back pain and reduce pressure on internal organs and chest. The disadvantage is that the root of the tongue will press on the pharynx due to gravity, which may cause snoring or even sleep apnea.

Sleeping on the right side helps to stabilize the heartbeat and protect the brain. Sleeping on the left side can reduce gastrointestinal pressure and is suitable for women in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. However, sleeping on the side for a long time can easily cause facial asymmetry.

Sleeping prone will compress the chest, increase joint pressure, affect breathing, etc., so it is not a recommended sleeping position.

People with different diseases

There is also a "protective sleeping position"

Helps relieve uncomfortable symptoms

Promote physical recovery

Patients with coronary heart disease are advised to choose the right side lying position, with the head 10-15 degrees higher than the feet. This can reduce the amount of blood returning to the inferior vena cava and help the heart rest.

Patients with cerebral thrombosis are recommended to lie in the supine position, with a pillow that is preferably 5 cm high, not too high or too low, to ensure that the carotid artery is not compressed and the brain is adequately supplied with blood.

It is recommended that patients with heart failure sit half-lying and half-sitting, which can not only improve lung blood circulation and reduce lung congestion, but also increase oxygen intake, which is beneficial for relieving symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.

People with back pain are advised to sleep on their side. When sleeping on their side, they should place a U-shaped full-body pillow between their knees to support the weight of the body and help the arms to be more comfortable.

People with varicose veins should elevate their feet horizontally above the height of the heart, which will help promote blood return to the heart and avoid congestion of the veins in the lower limbs.