Is It Right To Sleep On A Recliner Seat All Night?

When you come across an armchair or even a chair, and realize that it reclines backwards when you lower its back, or raise its front, then you know that is a recliner.

Usually, the recliner has a backrest that is possible to tilt backwards. It also has a footrest which one can extend using a lever. You will find the lever on the side of the recliner.

Some recliners have footrests that automatically extend when one reclines the back of the chair.

There are different types of recliners;

1. Traditional recliner

This is a recliner you will find typically in every living room all over the world. It is a two-position recliner and reclines when a button or lever is pushed. You can also get traditional loveseat recliners which are popular nowadays.

The pushing releases the seat backwards causing it to go down, while the footrest goes into an upwards position.

This seat takes about 3-feet of your room space, and so it works better where you have ample space. The 3-feet space allows it to recline as it should.

2. Power recliner

The power recliner is designed the same way as the traditional one. The difference is that instead of a button or a lever to recline the seat, it uses a power button.

The power button allows the seat to get electrically reclined. It ensures that the back reclines to your desired angle. This gives the user power over the recline, making the chair more versatile.

3. Rocker recliner

This is a favorite one for the nursing mums, or adults with young children. They are set on arched tracks that facilitate the chair to rock back and forth. The rocking motion is both relaxing and soothing, giving therapy to anyone finding it hard to sleep.

4. Glider recliner

This recliner works the same way as the rocker recliner. The difference however, is that the rocker recliner moves along an arched path. The glider recliner moves in a linear motion- it moves back and forth.

5. Push back recliner

This recliner does not use any kind of button to have it recline. Instead, the user is required to exert pressure on the backrest of the chair, as the sit on it, so that the seat reclines.

It has a sleek look that makes the seat fashionable, and also a current trend. The fact that it does not have a lever or a button, makes it appear like a regular armchair when not reclined.

6. Swivel recliner

The swivel recliner is set on a circular base. The recliner therefore, swivels left and right, as well as reclining backwards. The advantage of this recliner above the rest is that it has a full motion of range. The other types of recliners do not have that.

7. Lift recliner

The lift recliner is a perfect choice for the elder, or anyone else who has a problem getting up from a deeper recliner. It has a lift mechanism that helps the user to get back to the standing position.

The mechanism pushes the chair from the initial sitting position to a new angle that is more upright angled. When this happens, the sitting person can comfortably stand upright. It comes in handy especially for the people who have knee problems, hips or the legs.

8. Wall-hugger recliner

This recliner comes in when you need to save on the space the recliner will utilize. It is designed such that it allows the recliner to sit up straighter than most of the recliners. That mechanism makes it possible to press the recliner against the wall. That saves so much on the space the chair consumes.

What are the advantages of a recliner?

• Can help with blood circulation

Does your work involve you working for long hours?

It is important to note that sitting for long hours can affect your blood circulation. That is one of the reasons you would be left feeling tired after a day’s work. Sitting for long, if not taken care of, can eventually lead to medical complications. However, standing for long hours is not healthy either.

When you stand for too long, the blood flow to the brain reduces and that could cause one to faint, or get into other medical complications.

• Great resource for the elderly and expectant mothers

If you have an elderly person you are taking care of at home, you may find the lift recliner very helpful. It will allow the elderly person to experience some independence.

They will not need someone to lift them every time they need to do simple activities like lying down or stretching.

Expectant mums too will benefit from the recliner, to help manage the weight that comes with the baby. It therefore comes in handy to help secure them from back pains.

The expectant mother can recline on the seat and help spread the weight through her body. She can also rest her feet, which is a great health benefit for the mother and the growing baby.

What about sleeping on the recliner?

One evening after work, you are excited to be home and looking forward to watching an interesting movie. You pick the recliner as your best position to watch from.

The next thing you realize is that you watched barely a quarter of the movie, the rest of the time you slept! Other times are when one gets holds of a book and are determined to read through. However, somewhere through the middle of their read, they wake up to book that fell on the floor, as they slept on the recliner!

Some other people intentionally for one reason or another decide to spend the night on the recliner. However, is that the best thing to do for our bodies?

Should we or should we not sleep the whole night on the recliner?

Some people have physical difficulties transferring to their beds. Some other people have difficulties with their respiratory system. They prefer to position their heads in an upright position in their sleep. They breathe better in that posture.

What then is the difference in the impact that sleeping horizontally or on the reclined position has on the sleeper?

Experts advise that if one can, they should sleep on their bed. Professionals advise that continual sleeping on the recliner can cause knee and hip contractures. This is the condition that causes muscles to tighten, such that one has difficulties standing upright.

When that happens, the affected person can end up losing balance. This many times leads to falls. However, there are people who cannot sleep on the typical bed. Recliners end up being their sleeping solutions.

Majority of expectant mums as well find the recliners to be resourceful. This is especially so when the typical bed becomes uncomfortable for them. We are also aware that sometimes when a doctor is treating some medical conditions, they will put the patient on a recliner.

That would easily make one argue out that if a doctor can place you on a recliner, then there is no harm attached to the armchair, right?

There is also a group of people who live with acid reflux. They find sleeping on their side, and on a chair to ease the discomfort. The other category of people that find the recliner to help them sleep well at night are those who have gone through heart operations.

They generally find the recliner a good sleeping place as they heal. The people who live with sleep apnea also find the recliner to help them sleep much better. If one has spinal stenosis, they would find the recliner to be a good sleeping option.

This is because the recliner helps to elevate both the head and the knees. There are three categories of sleepers-those who sleep on their backs, stomach sleepers and those who sleep on the side.

Should one sleep on a recliner through the night?

Health specialists advise that to know whether it is okay for you to sleep on the recliner, one needs to consider three things. One, is your sleeping position. The thing to note her is that the spinal discs get reoriented when you sleep.

It gets to a horizontal posture which puts less pressure on the spine. This allows the fluids to flow back to the discs. When you sleep on a recliner, but you leave it locked, pressure increases on the spine.

You would then need to free the pressure on the spine. You simply need to recline the armchair and elevate your feet.

Two is the recliner. If you have a bulky, cumbersome recliner, you would find it difficult to use. However, an automated one, or one that has a mechanism that allows low force recline, would be easier and comfortable to work with.

Three is your sleep preference. If you are a back sleeper, you will find the recliner comfortable for you. Also, one who is a back sleeper and snores, or have health conditions that block the airways, will find the recliner helpful.

It helps open the airways increasing the ability to breathe well, enhancing sleep. Side sleepers or stomach sleepers will find the recliner a little uncomfortable. They may not be able to sleep on the same through the night.

Where is the best place to sleep?

What then is the conclusion?

Should one sleep on a recliner through the night or not?

First, talk to your healthcare expert. They will guide you based on your health status. Secondly, understand how your body responds when you sleep on a recliner, and when you sleep on the bed. Third, read up more sleep related materials. It will help you to make informed decisions.

Last update on 2023-06-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API