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The really good news is that using sleep to aid recovery requires minimal effort.
The most important thing is to consider the position you fall asleep in.
The ‘applauder’ (left) and ‘soldier’ (right) postures keep the body in alignment
Sleep posture is a passion of James Leinhardt, sleep expert and owner of mattress brandLevitex.
Sleep in a supportive position
The first step to optimizing sleep for recovery is to consider your sleep posture.
There is a direct relationship between having a straight spine and the speed of recovery, explains James.
The ‘applauder’ (left) and ‘soldier’ (right) postures keep the body in alignment
But maintaining alignment can be easier said than done.
Thankfully, James has a trick for that: use an old pillow.
Side sleepers can also benefit fromhugging a pillowto the chest.
If youre struggling with an injury, verify your sleeping position isnt putting pressure on the area.
But only if it’s providing you with the right level of support and pressure relief.
For an optimized rest period, choose a mattress with a firmer build.
You’d be holding your core and every time you moved, everything would move.
That’s the same bodily reaction that happens when your lying surface doesn’t support you.
According to James, we should be looking for.a perfect marriage of comfort and support in a mattress.
And if your current bed is too soft, you dont necessarily have to invest in a new mattress.
There are other ways tomake a mattress firmer, including adding a newmattress topper.
In myLevitex mattress topper review, I found it offered an impressive amount of full-body support.
Again, firmness is the answer.
A firmer pillow prevents your head from twisting during the night, so pressure stays off your spine.
We also have some excellent options in ourbest pillowguide.
And one thing to avoid?
Pillow propping aka using several pillows at once.
Lying on layers of pillows might look luxurious, but its probably not what your body needs.
There does seem to be a direct relationship between pain, pillow propping, and chicken soup.
I don’t think either of them work particularly well, says James.
So, stick with just the one pillow (but you could probably keep the chicken soup).
This article is part of TechRadar’sGet Fit for ‘24 weekof fitness content.
James Leinhardt is an expert in sleep posture.
He’s also the founder of pillow and mattress brandLevitex.
