Why Do I Sleep Better In a Recliner Than In a Bed?

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A good night’s rest is one of the most important factors in living a healthy life. Of course, getting enough sleep can be quite difficult, especially if you can’t get comfortable sleeping in a bed. Perhaps you are wondering why you sleep so much better in a recliner than a bed. This is the case for lots of folks. The position that a recliner provides you with can be more than just comfortable, however.

Sleeping in a recliner can have some health benefits as well. Of course, there are some issues with sleeping in a recliner that you might want to take into account as well. In this article, we will go through all of the pros and cons of sleeping in a recliner so that you can better understand how to sleep in your recliner both comfortably and correctly.

Why your body likes a recliner more than a bed

There are plenty of reasons that your body likes sleeping in a recliner more than sleeping in a bed. This mostly has to do with the position that you are in when you are in a recliner. Instead of having to lay completely flat, a recliner allows you to sit up a bit. This inclined position has lots of benefits, which we will discuss in this section.

Health benefits a recliner may offer

Even though you might think that sleeping in your recliner is just a comfortable spot to sleep, it actually has lots of health benefits as well. In this section, we will go through all of these different advantages that your recliner can provide you while you are sleeping.

Helps with spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis is one of the most common occurrences in folks as they get older. This common malady is usually referred to as lower back pain or back stiffness. This condition can be exacerbated by a standard bed. The springs in a mattress and the pressure that is placed on a person’s back from laying in a horizontal position can also be the outright cause of this condition.

On the other hand, a recliner helps to alleviate this pressure. Since you are not lying directly on your back, the pressure is spread through your entire body. This thinning out of the pressure you experience while you sleep can help to limit, or even completely solve lower back pain. This will allow you to sleep much more soundly. This will also make getting up in the morning and moving around during the day a lot easier as well.

Prevents heartburns

Heartburn is another issue that can be helped by sleeping in a recliner. Heartburn is can be caused by what you eat or drink. This painful condition occurs when acid from your stomach moves up into your esophagus. As you can imagine, this issue will be made a whole lot worse if you are lying down. A horizontal position will allow your stomach acids to more easily move into your throat, which will make the heartburn last longer and hurt more.

Sleeping in a recliner, however, is an entirely different story. The inclined position that a recliner affords you will help to keep your stomach acid from rising up into your esophagus. This will, in turn, help to limit how long your heartburn lasts and might be able to prevent it altogether.

Relieves osteoarthritis

Another reason that lots of people like their recliners so much is that they can help to limit any pain they might experience from osteoarthritis. This form of arthritis is the most common form that affects a large majority of older adults. This condition is caused when the cartilage around joints gets a bit weaker, which can cause inflammation in the joint. This inflammation can be made worse by lying in a standard bed.

A recliner, on the other hand, is a perfect way to help combat the pain and inflammation that come with this form of arthritis. Much like when dealing with back pain, one of the worst things for arthritis inflammation is putting too much pressure on your joints. A recliner helps to spread out your weight to separate areas, which will help to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Fights with snoring and sleep apnea

Sleep apnea and snoring are both common maladies that can be helped by sleeping in a recliner. Both snoring and sleep apnea are caused when a person’s airways are blocked. Laying flat on your back is the worst position for both of these conditions since all of your weight is pushing down on your airways, causing them to close up.

By sleeping on a recliner, you will be in a more inclined position. This gentle incline helps to limit the amount of weight being pushed down on your nose and throat. This reduction in pressure helps to limit the amount of snoring and the effects of sleep apnea.

Disadvantages of sleeping in a recliner

There are some slight disadvantages to sleeping in a recliner, however. Most of these issues will only occur if you spend too much time in your recliner, thankfully. These might include, depending on your sleeping position, the following:

Stiff joints – Since a recliner shifts your center of gravity, this can lead to stiff joints, especially in your knees. This is part of the reason it is so difficult to leave your chair when you are ready to get up. While this could happen to anyone, it is most likely to occur with older folks.
Insufficient blood flow – If you spend too much time in your chair, you might experience problems with your blood flow. Since your legs are lower than your heart, your body will have a tougher time getting your blood up and around your entire body.
Shallow sleep – While falling asleep in a recliner is very easy, maintaining that sleep can be quite difficult. Since you are not able to twist and turn to shift your position while you are sleeping in a recliner, it can be harder to get into a deeper sleep. Of course, if you are someone that doesn’t move very much while you are sleeping, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Should you, therefore, give up sleeping in your recliner?

Absolutely not! While these issues are certainly something to keep in mind, the benefits of sleeping in a recliner far outweigh the consequences. Not only is sleeping in a recliner extremely comfortable, but it is also great for alleviating a whole host of issues, such as preventing heartburn or limiting sleep apnea episodes.

The most important thing to remember is that moderation is the key. As long as you are not sleeping in your recliner every single night, you shouldn’t have too many issues.

In conclusion

Sleeping in a recliner is a great idea for a number of reasons, as long as you do it in moderation. By sleeping in your recliner, you can enjoy a whole host of health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and limiting the effects of heartburn, not to mention getting a good night’s rest. After all, sleep is something that all of us have to do in order to stay healthy, so you might as well be as comfortable as possible while you do it.