Have you ever jumped into the 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 kind of "surrendering" sleeping position, which is jokingly called by netizens, can indeed bring us physical and mental comfort in a short period of time.

But you know what? Staying in this sleeping position for a long time may have some negative effects on our health. Let's take a closer look at the risks behind this seemingly innocuous sleeping position.

"Surrendered" sleeping position

Be wary of these 3 situations

當我們滿懷疲憊地躺在床上，雙手高舉過頭時，就有可能發生肩峰撞擊、岡上肌缺血損傷和四邊孔綜合征這 3 種情況。

1

Shoulder acion

The term may conjure you up with intense athletic competition, but in reality, it's more about a condition of our shoulder anatomy.

Put simply, acromial impingement is when certain structures in our shoulder are compressed in the "subacromial space". The "subacromial space", the word sounds like a valley, in fact, it is formed by the space between the acromial structure of the scapula and the greater tuberosity structure of the humerus. When our arms are raised, the greater tuberosity of the humerus also moves upward, and this "valley" may narrow, and certain structures of the shoulder, especially the supraspinatus tendon and the subacromial bursa, may be impinged.

When we sleep in a "surrendered" position, the arm is constantly raised, which can lead to acromial impingement. What's more, if your acromial shape is curved or hooked, the risk of acromial impingement may increase further. Long-term acromial impingement may cause damage to the supraspinatus muscle, which can lead to shoulder pain and even affect the normal movement of the arm.

2

Okagami Skin Blood Injury

The supraspinatus, an important muscle in the shoulder, is significantly affected in this condition. If your arm is raised for a long time, and your acromion structure is not good at this time, it may be compressed, which will further lead to the obstruction of blood supply and supraspinatus ischemia.

In the long run, this may eventually lead to damage to supraspinatus function. In this case, you may experience shoulder pain and limited arm movement, which in severe cases may affect daily life.

3

Four-sided hole combination

Raising your hands high can not only lead to acromial impingement and supraspinatus ischemic injury, but it can also trigger a condition known as "quadrilateral foramen syndrome." This "quadrangular foramen" is not the kind of hole that is common in our lives, but an important anatomical structure located in the shoulder, which is surrounded by the teres minor, teres major, the lateral border of the long head of the triceps brachii and the surgical neck of the humerus.

This quadrilateral foramen has the axillary nerve and the posterior circumflex brachial artery running through it, and if we raise our arms high for long periods of time, we can compress them, causing quadrilateral foramen syndrome. Manifestations of this syndrome may include shoulder pain, decreased abduction and external rotation of the shoulder, and even muscle numbness and paresthesias.

Avoid the above 3 situations

You can do this

Knowing the problems that a "surrendering" sleeping position can pose, we may start to wonder what can be done to prevent them.

First, an intuitive solution to acromial impingement and supraspinatus ischemia injuries is to avoid holding the arm up for too long. Try adjusting your sleeping position while you sleep, placing your arms at your sides, or supporting your arms with pillows to reduce pressure.

For quadrilateral foramen syndrome, although it is caused by compression of certain anatomical structures of 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 exercises, shrugging exercises, and arm rotation exercises, can help improve the flexibility and strength of your shoulder muscles.

To better protect our health, we need to be more aware of our bodies. Knowing the problems that a "surrendering" sleeping position can pose is not to intimidate us into this comfortable sleeping position, but to remind us that we need to be aware of our bodies, to be observed, and to adjust.

This sleeping position

It's also dangerous

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

First of all, the human cervical vertebrae consist of 7 vertebrae that are connected by complex joints and ligaments that allow our head to move in multiple directions. When sleeping in the prone position, the head needs to be tilted to one side to keep breathing smooth, which will cause the cervical spine to rotate for a long time, which will cause the joints of the cervical spine and the surrounding muscles and ligaments to produce excessive stretching and compression, which can lead to neck pain, soreness, and may even lead to chronic neck pain.

In addition, sleeping in the prone position may also affect breathing. In the prone position, the chest is pressed against the mattress, limiting the room for the lungs to expand. The normal expansion and contraction of the lungs is the basis of our breathing, and if the expansion of the lungs is restricted, it can lead to poor breathing, which may worsen the problem of breathlessness in the long run.

Except for the sleeping position

Mattresses and pillows are also important

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

1

mattress

For people with lumbar spine problems, it is very important to have a mattress that is moderately soft and firm. The lumbar spine contains 5 vertebral bodies, which are connected to each other by intervertebral discs and ligaments, and when lying flat, the shape of the lumbar spine resembles an arch bridge. If the mattress is too hard, it can lead to excessive pressure on the lumbar spine; If the mattress is too soft, it may not provide enough support to cause the lumbar spine to bend excessively. Therefore, a mattress that is too soft or too hard may increase the pressure on the lower back, leading to lower back pain, and may even lead to chronic low back 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 proper support.

When lying flat, the cervical spine also needs to ensure a comfortable curvature. If the pillow is too high, it will cause the cervical spine to flex excessively; If the pillow is too low, it may cause the cervical spine to tilt back excessively. These can alter the normal curvature of the cervical spine, put pressure on the structure of the cervical spine, and affect blood circulation in the neck, which in turn may lead to headaches, shoulder and neck pain, and other problems.

In addition, the height of the pillow can also affect breathing, and pillows that are too high or too low may compress the airway and affect the ease of breathing. There is a relatively simple method, sometimes I choose to use a towel, roll it up to the height of one or a half fist, and pad it on the back of the neck, which is a very suitable curvature for the cervical spine.

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 also no one-size-fits-all answer to sleeping position. But at the very least, we can start by recognizing these problems, and then, according to our physical condition, make appropriate adjustments to protect our health.

Proofread by Zhuang Wu