Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Health, Sleep, Social Media
Kya Buller
Whether you're the kind of person who's out like a light as soon as your head hits the pillow, or you spend hours tossing and turning as you try to get some sleep, we all have a preferred sleeping position.
You may choose to sleep on your front, on your back, or even on your side, but one thing's for sure: nothing beats the feeling of getting it just right.
As it turns out, it might say more about us than we originally thought - and one very common sleeping position may be a sign of something rather sinister.
Liz Tenuto, an influencer who specialises in Somatic Exercises and releasing trauma and stress, has drawn attention to this issue on social media.
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Filming herself sleeping on her front with her arms underneath the pillows, with one leg laid out and the other bent, Liz said: "Do you sleep in the mountain climber position?
"This is a sign that your body is stressed.
"You have an unconscious need to stay ready for action as though you're protecting yourself or constantly on guard.
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"This means you're actually stuck in fight or flight mode while you're asleep."
She continued: "The bent leg position keeps your muscle slightly engaged signalling that your body is stuck in a heightened state of alertness from long-term stress, constant anxiety, or unresolved trauma."
Liz then proposed a list of possible symptoms and side effects that suggest you are in fact 'never fully powering down, or getting the natural restorative benefits of sleep, instead feeling stressed 24/7'.
She suggested that you may experience:
All is not lost, though. Liz suggests taking up 'somatic exercises' to combat constant stress and other undesirable side effects.
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Heidi Schauster, owner of Nourishing Words Nutrition Therapy and Somatic Experiencing, told Prevention: "Somatic exercises or movements involve focusing on your inner experience as you move, expanding internal awareness.
"These exercises typically involve performing movement for the sake of movement, following what feels supportive in the individual’s body, versus following the lead of an instructor and using the mind to imitate the instructor’s movement."
Liz concluded: "Somatic exercises release the years or decades of pent up stress & stored trauma out of your body (even if you’ve been stressed for a very long time).
"After you release, you’ll wake up truly refreshed, with a sense of groundedness that carries you through the day."