{"id":486,"date":"2020-10-16T09:02:22","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T09:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sleeping.guide\/?p=486"},"modified":"2023-06-20T09:02:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T13:02:34","slug":"sleep-recliner-vs-bed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sleeping.guide\/sleep-recliner-vs-bed\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Better In A Recliner VS A Bed? You Need To Read This"},"content":{"rendered":"

Drifting off in a recliner is easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long day. You\u2019ve been reading your favorite book, or you\u2019re done with good TV and now watching the late night stuff.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re comfy. Relaxed. Eyes drooping\u2026<\/p>\n

Zzzzzzzz.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before you know it, you\u2019ve drifted off into dream land.<\/em><\/p>\n

Trying to sleep in a bed, though?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh man. You need to shake off the drowsiness, get up, brush teeth, sort things out, climb into bed, and lay there with a brain that is suddenly FULL of thoughts!<\/p>\n

So is sleeping in a recliner really better than in a bed? Is it really possible to get a restful sleep in a recliner?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those questions were really bugging me, so I\u2019ve done into some research. In this article you\u2019ll find all of the answers \u2013 including detailed comparisons and references to medical advice.<\/p>\n

Sleeping on a Recliner vs a Bed \u2013 Summary:<\/h3>\n

Sleeping in a recliner is only better than a bed in certain conditions. Namely to stop specific sleep disorders and breathing issues. And for those hard of movement. Otherwise, sleeping in a recliner will give much worse sleep quality than a bed, and may cause knee, back, hip, and posture issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ready to dive into the details? Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n

Sleeping on A Recliner \u2013 Is It Healthy?<\/h2>\n

The main attraction of a recliner is how easy it is to drift off to sleep. It usually happens without thinking.<\/p>\n

But is it healthy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, there\u2019s two main advantages.<\/p>\n

Advantage 1: No Heartburn<\/h3>\n

Heartburn is caused by your stomach acid leaking into your esophagus. This is normally closed off from your stomach, but it doesn\u2019t fully close off for some people. Sleeping horizontally can then cause the acid to leak into your esaphagus and cause a strong acid-burn sensation.<\/p>\n

Sleeping vertically stops this from happening. Our good friend gravity keeps the stomach acid where it should be \u2013 in your stomach.<\/em><\/p>\n

Advantage 2: Relieved Breathing Issues<\/h3>\n

Anyone who\u2019s looked into snoring and sleep apnea knows that it\u2019s a case of your airways not being open enough for air to travel freely.<\/p>\n

By sleeping in an elevated position, this prevents your airways from being compressed from the weight of your neck and pressure from the pillow.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rare, but doctors do advice patients to try sleeping on recliners for breathing related sleep disorders.<\/p>\n

So much so, that some recliners are built to be \u2018zero gravity\u2019 chairs. This is a position where your head is slightly above your knees and legs, which can help relieve sleeping issues.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bonus: Helps with Pregnancy<\/h3>\n

No, I don\u2019t mean a recliner is a good excuse to kick out the father-to-be from bed!<\/p>\n

Instead, women in the late stages of pregnancy may find a recliner relieves a lot of the issues they may be having with sleep. The more vertical sleeping angle is much more supportive of the extra baby weight, and discourages trying to find comfort in sleeping on one side.<\/p>\n

Disadvantage 1: Your Sleep Quality Suffers<\/h3>\n

In a lot of cases, a recliner isn\u2019t an ideal sleep environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only are you stuck to one position<\/a> (laying on your back), the chair itself isn\u2019t always ergonomically comfortable. It may be fine to FALL asleep in, but not to go into a deeper sleep.<\/p>\n

Especially when you consider the real environment. A recliner is normally in a living room, with lights on, probably TV in the background, near loud or beeping appliances. It\u2019s a horrible combination of sleep disruptors.<\/p>\n

Combine this and you can actually draw a comparison between sleeping on a recliner and sleeping drunk. Both \u2018help\u2019 you fall asleep \u2013 it\u2019s easy to drift off in a recliner or after a few glasses of wine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But both also ruin the quality of your sleep. You\u2019ll probably wake up during the night<\/a>, have disturbed sleep, and wake up feeling tired and sore.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weird comparison I know \u2013 but it\u2019s true!<\/em><\/p>\n

Disadvantage 2: Your Body Suffers<\/h3>\n

We aren\u2019t meant to sit down all day.<\/p>\n

Doctors are already finding a ton of issues with being in a seated position for most of our waking lives.<\/em><\/p>\n

Namely the tightness that\u2019s brought on in our joints, and the compression \/ pressure on our spines and lower backs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sleeping in a recliner will only make these issues worse.<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

Overnight your hips and knees will get tighter, and you\u2019ll get stiffer and more sore. Not to mention the effect this will have on your posture, or making any back issues much worse.<\/p>\n

How to Make Sleeping in a Recliner Better<\/h2>\n

As you can see, there\u2019s some serious disadvantages to sleeping in a recliner.<\/p>\n

So I wanted to quickly touch on how we can minimize these to give you the best sleep possible (if you\u2019re still going to choose one over a bed).<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. First, let\u2019s tackle those tight knees and hips. <\/strong>If you\u2019re going to sleep in recliner, I\u2019d strongly consider including a stretching routine. Ideally before you sleep, but preferably on a regular basis. Making sure you\u2019re keeping your knees, hips, and back stretched will help prevent serious tightness and soreness building up over time.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Make sure your back is supported. <\/strong>Cheaper recliners might not offer proper lower back support. Consider a supportive ergonomic pillow, or even a couple of rolled up towels. Your back should be resting against these, and not \u2018holding up\u2019 your upper body weight.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Follow a similar sleeping routine to bed. <\/strong>Try to avoid falling asleep with bright lights and loud television. If you can follow a similar routine to bed \u2013 brushing your teeth, turning down the lights, closing your eyes in silence \u2013 you\u2019ll get a much better sleep. I\u2019ve covered the sleep trifecta (darkness, coolness, quietness) for good sleep in other articles. ##XX<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Track your sleep. <\/strong>Unless you\u2019re waking up feeling well rested an amazing, it\u2019s worth tracking your sleep. Using either wearable tech or an app on your phone. This will let you know if you\u2019re truly getting into deep sleep, which is a must<\/u> if you want to be healthy, happy, and the best version of yourself.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How to Sleep Better in a Bed<\/h2>\n

    I have a sneaking suspicion that many people might be reading this topic because feel they sleep better in a recliner than a bed. But that they may be wrong.<\/p>\n

    It may just be easier to fall <\/em>asleep in a recliner. And if I had to bed, that\u2019s a mental issue, not a sleep one.<\/p>\n

    The problem most people have with beds is falling asleep in them. Because in our fast paced lives, our brains don\u2019t get any time to think or process things. Which means when we lay there in silence at night, it sends our thoughts running.<\/p>\n

    If this sounds like you, I\u2019d recommend incorporating some mindful practices in your day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This can be anything from going on walks, meditating, or exercising. Anything that allows your brain some space to process and really think about things.<\/p>\n

    Then, when it comes to bed, you can really take so many more advantages than in a recliner. Here\u2019s how:<\/em><\/p>\n