The best place for your arms when sleeping on your side is slightly in front of your body, with your elbows bent and shoulders relaxed.
A supportive pillow can also help keep your head and neck in a comfortable position, so your arms are less likely to end up trapped underneath you.
Key Takeaways
- For comfortable side sleeping, keep your arms relaxed and slightly in front of your body instead of trapped underneath your head, chest, or shoulder.
- Side sleeping may help with snoring, nighttime reflux, back comfort, and pregnancy, but poor support can also lead to shoulder soreness, arm numbness, hip discomfort, and neck strain.
- Small changes can make side sleeping more comfortable, including supporting your top arm with a pillow, keeping your bottom arm free, choosing the right pillow height, and switching sides when pressure builds.
Side sleeping comes with plenty of comfort benefits, but it can also create pressure around the shoulders and arms if your position is off.
Best Arm Positions for Side Sleepers
The best arm positions for side sleepers keep your shoulders relaxed, your elbows comfortably bent, and your body weight off your lower arm.
Your arms can move around during the night. The goal is simply to start in a position that does not leave one shoulder twisted or one arm squashed beneath you.
Here are a few sleep positions worth trying:
1. Rest Your Arms Slightly in Front of You
Keeping both arms slightly in front of your torso is a comfortable starting point for many side sleepers. Bend your elbows loosely and let your hands rest around chest or stomach level.
An ergonomic pillow like the Ecosa Pillow, with its contoured shape and adjustable height, can help you find a more comfortable side-sleeping position. Try to keep your bottom arm out from under your head so the pillow supports your head and neck instead.
2. Hug a Pillow
Hugging a pillow can support your top arm and help keep your upper shoulder from dropping forward. Place the pillow against your chest and rest your top arm over it, while keeping your bottom arm slightly forward or beside the pillow.
Think of it as giving your top arm its own parking spot. A standard pillow works well, while a body pillow can also support your knees at the same time.
3. Keep Your Arms Down by Your Sides
Resting your arms alongside your torso can work well if you naturally sleep in a straighter side position. Keep the elbows soft rather than locked, and avoid pressing your bottom arm tightly between your ribs and the mattress.
A little space in front of your body usually feels more comfortable. This position may suit sleepers who dislike hugging pillows or curling their arms close to their face.
4. Try a Relaxed Fetal Position
A loose fetal position can give your arms a comfortable place to rest without curling your whole body into a ball. Bring your knees slightly upward and keep your arms bent in front of your chest.
If you tuck your elbows too tightly or fold your wrists underneath you, pressure can build through the night. Keep everything loose enough that your shoulders, hands, and elbows feel comfortable before you drift off.
Advantages of Side Sleeping
Side sleeping can support easier breathing, reduce nighttime reflux, and help some people feel more comfortable through their back and hips. It’s also a commonly recommended position later in pregnancy.
May Reduce Snoring
Sleeping on your side may reduce snoring by helping you avoid the back-sleeping position, where snoring can be worse for some people.
A study of adults with mild-to-moderate positional obstructive sleep apnea tested a head-positioning pillow that encouraged lateral rather than back sleeping. The researchers found that “the use of a HPP significantly reduced the subjective and objective severity of snoring” in the participants studied.
Side sleeping is not a replacement for sleep apnea treatment, so frequent loud snoring or pauses in breathing are worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
Can Support Your Back
Side sleeping can feel comfortable for your back when your spine stays well supported.
Positions like the relaxed fetal position mentioned earlier can help keep your body from feeling twisted or overly stretched. With the right mattress and pillow support, side sleeping may also feel easier on your lower back through the night.
May Ease Nighttime Heartburn
Sleeping on your left side may help reduce nighttime acid reflux and heartburn.
In a randomized controlled trial, researchers noted that previous studies found “lying left-side down reduces GER versus right-side down and supine.” Here, GER means gastroesophageal reflux, or the backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus.
The study also found less acid exposure when participants slept on their left side with their upper body elevated. So, if heartburn bothers you at night, changing your sleeping side and angle may help.
Be More Comfortable During Pregnancy
Side sleeping can be a comfortable option as your belly grows during pregnancy. Pillows between the knees or beneath the belly can also make side sleeping feel more supported.
NICHD notes that “many physicians advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side,” partly because of concerns that the growing uterus may compress major blood vessels in some positions. However, the study discussed by NICHD found no higher risk of complications from back or right-side sleeping through 30 weeks, and the researchers cautioned that their findings did not cover later pregnancy.
Drawbacks to Side Sleeping
Side sleeping can be comfortable, but it may also put extra pressure on your shoulders, arms, hips, and neck if your body is not well supported. Staying in one position for too long can make some of these trouble spots more noticeable.
Shoulder Soreness
Side sleeping can leave the shoulder against the mattress carrying more pressure through the night. A mattress that feels too firm may make that pressure more noticeable around the joint. Plus, the wrong pillow height can also affect how your neck, shoulders, and upper body settle. If one shoulder regularly feels sore in the morning, switching sides may give it a break.
Arm Numbness or Tingling
Arm numbness can happen when your lower arm gets trapped underneath your body or folded into an awkward position for too long. This is why the arm positions we covered earlier keep the bottom arm slightly forward instead of directly beneath you. Hugging a pillow can also give your top arm somewhere comfortable to rest.
Persistent or frequent numbness is worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
Hip and Lower Back Discomfort
Side sleeping may feel uncomfortable around the hips or lower back if your body twists out of alignment. This can happen when your upper leg falls too far forward or your hips sink too deeply into the mattress. The relaxed fetal position mentioned earlier may feel more natural for some sleepers.
Neck Strain
Side sleeping can strain your neck if your pillow leaves your head sitting too high or dropping too low. Your head should feel comfortably supported rather than tilted toward the mattress or ceiling. An adjustable pillow can make it easier to find a height that fills the space between your head and mattress.
Which Side Should You Sleep On—Left Or Right?
Start with the side that lets you rest comfortably without aggravating any existing health concerns. Left-side sleeping may suit people dealing with nighttime reflux, while the right may feel better for some sleepers with certain heart conditions.
Why You Might Prefer the Left Side
Sleeping on your left side may be a better choice if nighttime heartburn or acid reflux regularly interrupts your sleep.
- May reduce acid reflux. Research has found shorter acid exposure when people with reflux sleep on their left side compared with their right side or back.
- Uses gravity to your advantage. The position of your stomach can make it harder for acid to travel back into the esophagus.
- May suit nighttime heartburn. If reflux is your main concern, the left side may have the advantage.
When the Right Side May Feel Better
Sleeping on your right side may feel more comfortable for some people with certain heart conditions.
- May feel more comfortable. Research has found that some people with congestive heart failure naturally spend less time sleeping on their left side.
- Can reduce left-side discomfort. Switching sides may help if lying on the left feels uncomfortable or puts unwanted pressure on your body.
- Check with your doctor. If you have a heart condition, follow your healthcare provider’s advice before changing your sleep positions for health reasons.
Most healthy sleepers also don’t need to worry if they switch sides during the night. In the end, the better choice is the one that helps you stay comfortable and wake up without extra soreness.
Tips for Finding Your Ideal Arm Position
Finding your ideal arm position comes down to keeping your arms relaxed, avoiding prolonged pressure, and giving your shoulders enough support. You may need to experiment with a few small changes before one position feels natural.
1. Keep Your Bottom Arm Free
Let your bottom arm rest slightly in front of your body instead of trapping it underneath your chest, shoulder, or head. Keep your elbow comfortably bent rather than folded tightly toward your face. If you often wake with tingling or numbness, this is a good position to adjust first.
2. Give Your Top Arm Some Support
Give your top arm somewhere comfortable to rest so it does not drop forward across your body. Hugging a standard pillow or body pillow can support the arm while helping your shoulders stay relaxed. Your bottom arm can then rest freely in front of you.
3. Support the Rest of Your Body
Your arms may settle more naturally when the rest of your side-sleeping position feels supported. Keeping your legs slightly bent or resting a pillow between your knees can help your hips and lower back stay comfortable. A balanced setup means less tossing around trying to find somewhere for your arms.
4. Get Your Pillow Height Right
The right pillow height can support your head and neck without tempting you to tuck an arm underneath. The adjustable Ecosa Pillow lets you change the height to better suit your shoulder width and side-sleeping position. Once your head feels properly supported, keeping your arms comfortably in front can feel much easier.
5. Change Sides If You Feel Uncomfortable
You do not have to stay on the same side all night. Changing sides can give the shoulder and arm underneath you a break if pressure starts building. If you regularly wake up sore on one side, your body may be telling you it is time to switch things up.
Shop Ecosa Pillows for All Sleeping Positions
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