Don't sleep in this position anymore! You may ruin your body!

Have you ever jumped into bed after a busy day at work, raised your hands high, as if surrendering to the bed, and enjoyed the moment of relaxation and freedom? This sleeping position, jokingly called "surrender" by netizens, can indeed bring us physical and mental comfort in a short period of time.

Image source: Huang Tao

But did you know that if you keep sleeping in this position for a long time, it may have some negative effects on your health. Let's take a closer look at the hidden risks behind this seemingly harmless sleeping position.

"Surrender" sleeping posture, beware of these 3 situations

When we lie in bed exhausted with our hands raised above our heads, three situations may occur: shoulder impingement, supraspinatus ischemic injury, and quadrilateral foramen syndrome .

1. Shoulder impingement

The word may make you think of intense sports competition, but in reality, it is more about a condition related to our shoulder anatomy.

Simply put, shoulder impingement is when certain structures in our shoulder are compressed in the "subacromial space". The word "subacromial space" sounds like a valley. In fact, it is formed by the space between the acromion structure of the scapula and the greater tuberosity structure of the humerus. When our arm is raised, the greater tuberosity of the humerus also moves upward, and this "valley" may become narrower, and certain structures in the shoulder, especially the supraspinatus tendon and the subacromial bursa, may be impinged.

When we adopt the **surrender" sleeping position**, our arms will be constantly raised, which may cause shoulder impingement. What's more, if your shoulder morphology is curved or hooked, the risk of shoulder impingement may be further increased. Long-term shoulder impingement may cause damage to the supraspinatus muscle, resulting in shoulder pain and even affecting the normal movement of the arm .

Image source: Huang Tao

2. Supraspinatus muscle ischemic injury

The supraspinatus muscle, as an important muscle in the shoulder, will be significantly affected in this situation. If your arm is in an upward position for a long time, and your acromion structure happens to be poor at this time, it may be compressed, further leading to obstruction of its blood supply and ischemic injury to the supraspinatus muscle .

Over time, this may eventually lead to supraspinatus muscle damage, in which case you may experience shoulder pain and limited arm movement, which may affect your daily life.

3. Quadrangular foramen syndrome

Raising your hands high may not only cause shoulder impingement and supraspinatus ischemia, but may also trigger a condition called "quadrangular hole syndrome". This "quadrangular hole" is not the common hole in our lives, but an important anatomical structure located in the shoulder, surrounded by the teres minor, teres major, the lateral edge of the long head of the triceps and the surgical neck of the humerus.

The axillary nerve and posterior humeral circumflex artery pass through this quadrilateral foramen. If we raise our arms for a long time, they may be compressed, leading to quadrilateral foramen syndrome . The symptoms of this syndrome may include shoulder pain, weakened shoulder abduction and external rotation, and even muscle numbness and paresthesia .

To avoid the above 3 situations, you can do this

After understanding the possible problems caused by the "surrender" sleeping position, we may start to think about what we can do to prevent these problems?

First of all, for shoulder impingement and supraspinatus ischemic injury, an intuitive solution is to avoid keeping your arms raised for too long . Try to adjust your sleeping position when sleeping, put your arms at your sides, or support your arms with pillows to relieve pressure .

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For quadrilateral foramen syndrome, although it is caused by compression of certain anatomical structures in the shoulder, we can reduce the compression by strengthening the muscles of the shoulder and upper limbs. Some simple stretching and strengthening exercises, such as shoulder circular movements, shoulder shrugs, and arm rotations, can help improve the flexibility and strength of the shoulder muscles .

In order to better protect our health, we need to understand our bodies better. Knowing the possible problems of the "surrender" sleeping position does not make us afraid of this comfortable sleeping position, but reminds us that we need to understand, observe and adjust our bodies.

This sleeping position is also dangerous

In addition to the "surrender" sleeping position, from an anatomical point of view, sleeping on your stomach (that is, sleeping on your stomach) may also have an impact on our physical health .

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First of all, the human cervical spine consists of 7 vertebrae, which are connected by complex joints and ligaments, allowing our head to move in multiple directions. When sleeping in a prone position, the head needs to be tilted to one side to keep breathing unobstructed, which will cause the cervical spine to be in a state of rotation for a long time, causing excessive stretching and compression of the cervical joints and the muscles and ligaments around them, resulting in neck pain, soreness, and even chronic neck pain .

In addition, sleeping in the prone position may also affect breathing. When sleeping in the prone position, the chest is pressed against the mattress, which limits the space for the lungs to expand . The normal expansion and contraction of the lungs is the basis of our breathing. If the expansion of the lungs is restricted, it may lead to difficulty breathing, which may aggravate the problem of dyspnea in the long run .

In addition to sleeping posture, mattress and pillow are also important

The right mattress and pillow are key to a good night's sleep.

1. Mattress

For people with lumbar problems, it is very important to have a mattress with moderate hardness. The lumbar spine consists of 5 vertebrae, which are connected to each other by intervertebral discs and ligaments. When lying flat, the shape of the lumbar spine is similar to an arch bridge. If the mattress is too hard, it may cause excessive pressure on the lumbar spine; if the mattress is too soft, it may not provide enough support, causing the lumbar spine to bend excessively. Therefore, a mattress that is too soft or too hard may increase the pressure on the waist, causing waist pain, and may even cause chronic waist pain .

2. Pillow

When choosing a pillow, you also need to pay attention to its relationship with the cervical spine. A good pillow should be able to adapt to the physiological curvature of the cervical spine and provide appropriate support.

When lying flat, the cervical spine also needs to maintain a comfortable curvature. If the pillow is too high, the cervical spine will bend excessively; if the pillow is too low, the cervical spine may be tilted backward excessively. These may change the normal curvature of the cervical spine, put pressure on the cervical spine structure, affect the blood circulation in the neck, and may cause headaches, shoulder and neck pain and other problems .

In addition, the height of the pillow will also affect breathing. A pillow that is too high or too low may compress the respiratory tract and affect the smoothness of breathing. There is a simpler method. Sometimes I choose to use a towel, roll it into the height of one or one and a half fists, and pad it behind the neck. It is a very suitable curvature for the cervical spine .

Image source: Huang Tao

Finally, sleep is a vital part of human life, and it has a profound impact on our health, mental state, and quality of life. There is no universal answer to sleeping position .

But at least, we can start by recognizing these problems, and then make appropriate adjustments based on our physical condition to protect our health.

Author: Huang Tao, former rehabilitation therapist in the Department of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital

Review丨Zhang Qinghua, Chief Physician of Orthopedics, Shougang Hospital