Is it possible to sleep while standing

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When a human tries to sleep while standing, he or she generally fails within a few minutes. Sleep involves a general relaxation of the muscles, including those responsible for keeping a person standing upright.

Because the would-be sleeper's mind has largely shut down, it is not providing all of the subtle and not-so-subtle adjustments that keep standing humans in balance. In essence, once the brain , joints, and muscles stop working to keep a person upright, it's time to meet the floor. As far as sleep positions are concerned, even if it were possible to sleep standing up, constant stress on the spine would most likely create a new level of pain for the sleeper the following morning.

However, humans often struggle with sleeping upright on occasions when this position is required, such as napping on planes or during long car rides. This can be partly attributed to the way our bodies relax and lose muscle tone during certain stages of a normal sleep cycle. Moreover, sitting upright for too long can increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis DVT , a potentially fatal medical condition. If you need to sleep upright, there are certain measures you can take to prevent DVT and ensure an adequate amount of rest.

Sleeping upright is neither inherently healthy or unhealthy. Some people live with medical conditions that make sitting up more comfortable for sleeping. These include morbid obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Some people may also feel more comfortable sleeping in a recliner. However, Dr. Iyo stresses sleeping upright should be a temporary measure until the patient is able to sleep comfortably in bed. She adds patients should consult their physician or physical therapist about the change in posturing before transitioning back to their bed.

The practice of sleeping upright is more common within certain cultural groups. For example, the BBC has profiled a Buddhist retreat in Scotland , during which monks slept upright every night for a period of up to four years.

These groups are the exception, however, as most people tend to have a hard time sleeping upright due to the simple mechanics of our sleep cycles. A healthy cycle consists of four distinct sleep stages. This prevents you from acting out on dreams, which primarily occur during REM sleep. This temporary paralysis also makes sleeping upright less comfortable compared to sleeping prostrate on your side, back, or stomach.

Keeping your head upright is especially difficult, as any airline passenger can attest. The risk of DVT is also important to consider, especially during long flights. DVT is characterized by a blood clot that forms in the veins of your thigh or lower leg after long periods of uninterrupted sitting. If the clot travels to the lungs, this can lead to a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. Taking certain medications can increase your likelihood of developing DVT, as can smoking or being pregnant.

To prevent DVT, airline passengers on long flights are often instructed to stand up and stretch their legs periodically while they are in the air. You should also make sure to drink plenty of fluids in order to stay hydrated.

Another way to lower your risk of DVT while sleeping upright during a long trip is to recline your seat if possible. Some studies suggest reclining your seat at an angle of at least 40 degrees leads to healthier sleep than sitting upright at an angle of 20 degrees. Of course, this may not be possible on certain flights, in which case you may need to leave your seat and stretch your legs more frequently.

Sleeping while standing is even more difficult for humans than sleeping sitting up due to the loss of muscle tone that occurs during REM sleep. However, this practice has been observed in certain situations, such as soldiers on nighttime sentry duty.