Spinal Surgeon Derek Cawley joins Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss the best positions for sleeping. Listen back above.
If you've ever woken up with a sore back or a tingle in your arm, you may have considered changing your sleeping habits - but what is the optimal position for a good night's sleep?
"As we go through life, we spend longer lying on our sides compared to when we were born," he explains. "When we're born, we spend a third of the time on the side, on the back or on the front, and the longer life goes on the more likely we are to sleep on our side."
Reasons to sleep in a side position can range from acid reflux and airway issues to a whole variety of back problems.
"In regards to the spine, because we become a little more crooked as life goes on, if we lie on our side, it suits our body shape more than if we were to lie flat on our back."
During one particular study, Cawley observed that the position of a spine when lying down flat versus standing up were incredibly similar in terms of the spine's curvature. Essentially, this means that if a person were to have back issues from standing, they would likely suffer when lying flat.
"The reason that we therefore prefer to lie on our sides, with regard to our spine, is both the fact that we have that little bit of stoop in the back as we get older, and also the fact that we spend so much of our day sitting down, so the hips are bent up most of the day anyway, so therefore it's almost more natural for them to be in a flexed position when we lie down."
As a spinal surgeon, how would Cawley like to see people sleeping?
"The first and golden rule is whatever gets you a night's sleep," he insists. "Be it comfort and support - that is what we need from our night's sleep because if you take pain, for example, you are far better able to deal with pain having had a good night's sleep."
"There is not much we can do while we sleep," he adds, explaining that worrying about staying in a particular position will likely disrupt sleep. Instead, he insists that the most important thing to focus on is getting a good routine in place.
As a surgeon, Cawley has found that certain positions may be able to help with certain back issues. For example, if a person has sciatica down their left leg, sleeping on their right side may help stretch it out.
Although many of us enjoy sleeping on our sides, the position may lead to shoulder and hip problems, but slotting a pillow between the legs or behind the back may help.
This is a "relatively cheap way" to get a better night's sleep as opposed to spending thousands of euro on a mattress which Cawley says may or may not make a difference depending on the individual.
When it comes to pillows, Cawley tells an astounded Claire that the number "doesn't matter". Once again, he insists that the way in which we sleep comes down to individual preference for finding optimal comfort.
To hear the spinal surgeon address listeners' questions, listen back above.
