What's the best position to sleep in?

As I type this, we're enduring that rare thing in the UK: a heatwave. It can make life uncomfortable by day and unbearable at night. It also makes you acutely aware of how you sleep and begs the question: is there an optimum sleeping position to maximise shuteye?

- James Witts

Scientists in Denmark attached small motion-sensor detectors to subjects' thighs, upper backs and upper arms before they fell asleep.

The researchers discovered that participants spent over half of their sleeping time on their sides, 38% on their backs and 7% on their fronts.

So sleeping on your side is the most natural position, while snoozing on your tummy is the least. And that's a good thing, according to James Leinhardt of Manchester-based outfit Levitex. His company offers a range of pillows, mattresses and advice to optimise users' sleep through positioning. For Leinhardt, sleeping on your front is a big no-no. "It has a terrible impact on your spine health and affects your overall sleep quality," he says, "especially if your daytime posture is poor – for example, if you're working at a computer all day."