How to Stop Sleeping on Your Back

A good night's rest is an important aspect of your everyday life that affects the quality of your mental and physical agility. While a firm mattress improves the position of your spine while sleeping, it is equally important to modify your sleeping habits to reduce common health issues that result from sleeping on your back. Lower-back aches, snoring and post-nasal drip are some of the health problems that are exacerbated during sleep, but they are avoidable through improved sleep habits, according to Lawrence J. Epstein, author of "The Harvard Medical School Guide to A Good Night's Sleep."

Things You'll Need

• Tennis ball
• Safety pin
• Sock
• Tight t-shirt

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Instructions

• 1

  Insert the tennis ball into the sock, and pierce the safety pin through the sock to attach it to the inside back of the t-shirt.

• 2

  Put on the t-shirt before bed. The tennis ball acts as a deterrent from naturally rolling onto your back during sleep, according to Epstein, because the discomfort caused by the tennis ball causes you to roll back onto your side or stomach.

• 3

  Cover your mattress with a soft pillow-top cover. A pillow-top cover for your mattress improves the comfort of your mattress, which is ideal for sleeping on your side. Use a memory foam mattress topper to increase comfort. Memory foam forms itself to your body's natural shape, which provides comfort to your spine while sleeping to prevent aches in the morning.