The Relationship between Sleeping Position and Sleep Quality: A Flexible Sensor-Based Study

Abstract

The use of flexible wearable sensors to monitor the impact of sleeping position and turning frequency on sleep and to study sleep patterns can help bedridden patients heal and recover. The flexible wearable sleeping-position monitoring device was designed and developed using a flexible angle sensor and a six-axis motion sensor to measure the dynamic changes in body posture during sleep. Based on the changes in the output parameters of the flexible angle sensor and the six-axis motion sensor, we determined the change in the subject’s lying position, verifying and analyzing the relationship between lying position preference, turning frequency, and sleep quality in healthy subjects. The sleeping-position monitoring device was worn by 13 subjects (7 males and 6 females) without sleep disorders before the sleep experiment. They performed more than 50 sleeping-position changes to ensure the accuracy of the monitoring device. Subjects slept in their beds for 8 h per night for 15 nights. During that time, they wore the sleeping-position monitoring device and a wristband sleep-monitoring bracelet on their left hand, and gathered the subjective sleep data using questionnaires. The results show that the most critical influencing factors are sleeping-position preference and frequency of turning. Data analysis reveals that subjects with a preference for right-sided lying and a lower frequency of turning had better sleep quality.

Left lateral decubitus sleeping position is associated with improved gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…However, it is understandable since discriminating nocturnal GERD symptoms based on specific sleeping positions from the overall sleep duration is difficult. Besides, maintaining a specific sleep position from the overall sleep duration is difficult due to the dynamic changes in position throughout sleep[ 14 ]. These hypothesis-generating studies suggested that decreased acid exposure and clearance in LLD sleep position compared to supine and/or RLD could be translated to less damage to the esophagus and fewer nocturnal symptoms of GERD.…”

Recent Progress in Long-Term Sleep Monitoring Technology

“…As shown in Figure 11 c, a pressure sensor made of a multilayer piezoelectric structure can detect which part of the body is touching the bed and subjected to body gravity [ 148 ]. In 2022, Zhang et al prepared resistive flexible angle sensors using metal foil foils, and the accuracy of flexible wearable sleep posture monitoring devices exceeded 90% [ 153 ]. Zhou et al also achieved sensing of human posture through a bed sheet made of ultra-thin conductive fabric.…”

Health significance of body position during sleep - literature review

“…Co więcej, przedstawiono, iż preferencje pozycji snu wpływały na liczbę przebudzeń i okresy fazy REM -osoby śpiące na prawym boku wybudzały się rzadziej, miały najdłuższy czas snu głębokiego i krótszy czas fazy REM. [7] Podważyło to prezentowane dawniej stanowisko, jakoby pozycja snu nie miała wpływu na etapy snu. [3] Co ciekawe, sen osób śpiących na plecach charakteryzuje się jednak krótszym czasem zasypiania oraz najdłuższym czasem snu w porównaniu do innych pozycji.…”