Everything Else

Stomach Sleeper

I’ve been thinking about my sleeping position recently. Every night, I crawl into bed and assume the same position: I lay on my stomach with my arms curled around the pillow/under my head, with my left leg straight and my right leg curled in towards my knee (think: tree pose in yoga). I sleep with my left cheek on the pillow. Any other position feels incredibly strange to me.

This got me thinking: how common is it to sleep on your stomach? According to this article, only 7% of people do. It says the most common sleeping position is the fetal position (41%). I suppose I’m not surprised to hear that. Justin sleeps that way. I even used to sleep that way, but over time I realized that I’d start out sleeping in the fetal position but I’d wake up on my stomach. Perhaps my body was telling me what it wanted to do?

So now I’m curious: what position do you sleep in? Am I the only stomach sleeper out there?

42 Comments

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  • It depends on the bed. If it’s really soft, I sleep on my stomach. If it’s firmer, I sleep on my back. Then we got a Sleep Number bed and I had no idea how to sleep on it.

    • I have to be 100% honest with you. I sleep in EXACTLY the same position as you do. Every night. And if something is preventing me from doing that, I sleep like crap. And hubs sleeps in the fetal position facing the opposite direction of me (and somehow incorporates about 4 pillows to do so…)

      • Ah! Justin faces away from me too. So funny that we seem to have the same arrangement (although ours minus the 4 extra pillows)!

    • I’m starting to think that this article was a bunch of hoo-ha, because everyone commenting seems to be a stomach sleeper!!!

  • That is exactly how I sleep…when I’m not pregnant. In related news…I sleep horribly when pregnant. Sigh.

    • Oh my, this is definitely a huge worry for me! I feel like I’m going to have to create a huge fluffy pillow with a stomach hole so I can continue my stomach sleeping!

  • I’m totally a stomach sleeper and can’t sleep any other way! I think it’s because that’s the “preferred” position for babies back in the 80’s so that’s how my parents put me to sleep. On my tummy. Now days, stomach sleeping for babies is like a huge no-no.

  • I was just thinking that you may have some sleep problems when you get pregnant! But Coasting anon beat me to that. I sleep in the fetal position, with my hands under my pillow together like I am saying a prayer. 🙂 On another topic, I love the photo of your bedroom. Does your nightstand always look so neat?

    • Oh, I wish the nightstand always looked that good. That is actually Justin’s side of the bed, so it doesn’t get too cluttered, but dust tends to collect fast and it drives me nuts!

  • For me, it completely depends on the night. Sometimes, I’m flat on my back with my arms folded over my chest (hubs says that freaks him out). Sometimes, I’m sort of half-side-half-stomach – I lay kind of on one side of my stomach, with that side hand down by my side and my other hand curled up under the pillow/my head, that side’s leg straight and my other leg tucked way up to my chest. And sometimes, if I’m really tired, I’ll lay on my back with my arms up under my head. My husband calls that “sunbathing.”

    • AH! I do the “sunbathing” sometimes when I have a cold/runny nose and can’t sleep on my stomach! My arms automatically end up above my head. So funny.

  • I too am a stomach sleeper! I sleep exactly like you, but with my right cheek on the pillow. I usually fall asleep that way, but sometimes when I toss and turn during the night, I’ll end up on my back or side for short stints before I go back to my stomach. Every time I go back to my stomach, it’s like “ahhh, perfect” lol.

  • I’m with you! I MUST sleep on my stomach. I know it’s bad for your face and your boobs, but I don’t even care. I’m just scared for when the day comes that I’m pregnant and can’t sleep on my stomach! Scary thought.

  • I sleep on my stomach, usually with right cheek on the pillow and my teddy bear tucked under my right arm just so. Yes, I’m 25 and live with my fiance and still sleep with a teddy bear! It helps with the sleep position perfectly!! 🙂 I don’t sleep well any other way so I know that I’m going to have trouble sleeping in a few years when I’m preggers.

  • This is exactlyyy how I sleep every night. My only other requirement is that I must be smelling clean air all night. I don’t like to smell fabric, someone else’s breath, ANYTHING! Must. Be. Air!

    • I have to have a fan on to circulate the air at night. Justin does NOT like a fan blowing on him, so we have a small one sitting on the dresser that points just at me. We’re special. Haha!

  • I sleep on my stomach 90% of the time. Right cheek on the pillow with my left left bent and hiked. I’ve read that sleeping on your stomach is the worst position, though, something about the way your neck is. Whatever, its comfortable and I am so NOT a back sleeper!

  • I used to love sleeping on my stomach and continued to do so with both pregnancies until it got too uncomfortable. Now it’s half back and half side…I can’t wait until I can comfortably sleep on my tummy again!

  • I start on my right side and always switch to left cheek/stomach down just like you described, at some point (that’s how I always wake up)
    I’m terrified of not being able to fall asleep when i’m pregnant someday!

  • I’m a stomach sleeper and fortunately I’m still able to comfortably sleep on my belly, but I’m only 16 weeks and the bump isn’t getting in the way yet. I don’t know how I’ll sleep later!

  • I think my favorite position is the fetal position but last night I was sleeping on my stomach like you do. It changes for me but in the end I usually come back to the fetal position!

  • I can’t even imagine falling asleep on my stomach! I can’t even lay that way for more than a few minutes or my arms fall asleep! I fall asleep on my back, or on my left side with my knee kicked out like a jack-knife.

  • I totally sleep on my stomach too! I’m wondering about the percentages now, because it really seems a lot of your commenters also sleep on their stomachs!

  • That is sooo funny that you mentioned the leg thing…I sleep in the EXACT same position as you, down to the side. My husband thinks I’m so weird because I always have to have my leg up. Let me just tell you, towards the end of being pregnant sucks when you’re a stomach sleeper!

  • I’m really late to this post but I totally sleep in almost the exact same position as you. Like, identical. And apparently with the comments on this post we’re not alone! 🙂

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