Is Sleeping on a Couch Bad for You

Lying down with your head slightly elevated is the most natural position for people to sleep.
It’s better to sleep in the same location every night but dozing off on the couch occasionally is probably not bad for your long-term health. However, there are some instances when you should absolutely avoid sleeping on the couch. This article will cover the do’s and don’ts of sleeping on the couch, including times it can be harmful or cause injury.

Are there any benefits of sleeping on the sofa?
Sometimes the sofa is simply the most comfortable option for sleeping. If you have certain health conditions, sleeping on the couch might even provide the best sleep experience.

Sleeping on the couch might help if you have cold or flu symptoms
When you’re congested or feverish, it can be hard to get comfortable on your bed. Laying on the couch, encased in soft upholstery, can help you to get comfortable. There’s also the opportunity to lay with your chest higher than your legs when you sleep on the couch. Anecdotally, this can help to drain congestion and make it easier to sleep when you’re ill.

Keep in mind that your couch won’t wick away moisture the way that your mattress is designed to, so sleeping on the couch when you’re sweating heavily from a fever or chills may mean your couch gets wet.
It might help if you have insomnia
If you have trouble falling asleep (the condition called insomnia), falling asleep on the couch for a few nights might provide a change of scenery and help your brain recalibrate as you drift off.

Keep in mind that if you have insomnia and your brain gets too used to sleeping on the couch, it might become difficult to go back to sleeping in your bed. Consider purchasing a new mattress if yours is uncomfortable and keeps you awake at night.
Side effects of sleeping on a couch
For most people, it is not a big deal to fall asleep on the couch once in a while. But couches were designed for relaxing in an upright position — not as a place to sleep. If you sleep on the couch, you may notice some side effects.

Sleeping on the couch may cause back and neck pain
Sleep posture is an important predictor of stiffness, back pain, and neck pain, according to several studies.Trusted Source If you’ve ever woken up from a night sleeping on the couch with a “crick in your neck” or a pinched nerve, your sleep posture is the reason why. Sleeping with spine and neck support is the safest way to sleep — and sleeping on the couch doesn’t necessarily provide that.

If you fall asleep on the couch once in a while and wake up with some nerve pain or stiffness, it will probably wear off throughout the course of the day. But if you make a habit of sleeping on the couch, it can start to cause long-term damage to your lumbar spine and neck.
It may cause leg pain
When you’re lying down, you may find that you’re longer than your couch. This can result in your legs awkwardly sticking over the edge of the couch while you sleep. While some leg elevation in your sleep can be good for circulation, sleeping in a prolonged posture with your feet dangling can often lead to numbness and tingling in your lower limbs.

May lead to poor sleep quality
If you fall asleep on a couch in a shared space, your chances of being interrupted during the night due to someone else’s movement are increased.