We spend a lot of our life sleeping (about one-third of it, actually!), so how we sleep matters. If you’re struggling with certain health conditions, you may be aggravating them through your sleeping position. For example, if you suffer from lower back pain, sleeping on your stomach can strain it more, while hip pain is a common complaint for side sleepers. Experts recommend back sleeping as the preferred sleeping position, but it's easy for your body to fall back into old habits — especially when you’re asleep.

We’ve rounded up yoga stretches for every style of sleeper to help you balance the potential cons of sleeping in that position, work out any kinks or tension, and feel more refreshed when you wake up in the morning.

Side Sleeper

As the overwhelmingly popular choice, side sleepers (in which we’ve also included those who sleep in the fetal position) made up over half of the participants in this Danish study on adult sleep positions. Sleeping on your side is the position of choice for pregnant women who have to avoid sleeping on their back, and it can help improve digestion and reduce snoring. It’s not all peachy though — side sleepers also report more shoulder pain and can wake up with sore hips if they don’t switch sides throughout the night. A pillow between the knees and these stretches will help ease any aches:

Pigeon Pose

Start in Three-Legged Dog. Bend your right knee and bring it forward to the floor resting to the outside of your right hand. Release your left knee to the floor and lay your leg flat to the mat, toes pointed behind you or tucked under. Square your hips, then fold forward over your right leg. Feel the deep stretch for a few moments, then return to Downward Dog to repeat on the left side.

Reclined Bound Angle Pose

Start by lying on your back and bend your knees with your feet planted on your mat. Gently let your knees fall to each side as you bring the soles of your feet together. Rest your arms at your sides or wherever is most comfortable as you feel a deep stretch in your hips and groin.

Eagle Arms

In a kneeling or sitting position, stretch your arms out in front of you. Cross your right arm over and left arm under, elbows coming to stack. Lift your forearms up, point your hands to the sky, and press your palms or backs of the hands toward each other until you feel a stretch in your back and shoulders. Take a few deep breaths, then release and switch sides.

Side sleepers, try the Harmonious Hips yoga class on Alo Moves.

Back Sleeper

Despite only 8% of the population preferring to sleep on their back, it is the most recommended sleeping position by doctors for its long list of benefits, including keeping the spine in neutral alignment, relieving sinus buildup (especially with proper pillow support), and avoiding wrinkles you can get from sleeping with your face on a pillow. However, for many, it’s also not the most comfortable position and can make back pain worse. Loosen up any lingering tightness with these key stretches:

Cat/Cow

Begin on all fours on your mat. Align your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, keeping your knees and shins hip-width apart. While you inhale, drop your belly toward the mat, roll your shoulders back, and lift your chin and chest upward for Cow Pose. Exhale, and move into Cat Pose by rounding your spine to the ceiling while carving your belly in toward your spine and looking in at your navel. Inhale and come back to Cow Pose, then exhale and return to Cat Pose. Repeat.

Child’s Pose

Begin on all fours and sink your hips down to rest on your heels. Your knees can be out wide or hip-width apart. Gently lay your torso down between your inner thighs as you reach forward with your hands (palms facing down) and rest your forehead on your mat or a block.

Knees to Chest with Rocking

Begin by lying down on your mat. Hug your knees to your chest and gently rock side to side as you massage your back with the movement.

Back sleepers, try the Yoga for Low Back Pain class on Alo Moves.

Stomach Sleeper

Bad news for stomach sleepers: this is the least recommended sleeping position as it causes strain on the spine and internal organs, as well as premature wrinkles. It is also recommended that you avoid this position during pregnancy. If you’re a stomach sleeper out of habit, you can avoid some of the aches and pains that come along with stomach sleeping by placing a pillow under your pelvis to relieve pressure, or by using a thin pillow to help reduce neck strain. Woke up in pain after a night of stomach sleeping? Try one of these yoga stretches to help ease some of that tension.

Reclined Supine Twist

Lie down on your mat and hug your knees to your chest. Release your arms outstretched perpendicular to your body as you gently drop your knees to one side. Twist your torso in the opposite direction until you feel a stretch. Come back to the middle and repeat on the other side.

Reclined Pigeon Pose

Begin by lying down on your mat. Bend your knees, then lift your right leg up in the air and cross your right ankle over your left knee. Now lift your left leg and bring it toward your chest as you weave your arms around your leg with interlaced fingers wrapped around your hamstring. Gently pull your leg toward you for a deep stretch, then switch sides.

Thread the Needle

Beginning on all fours, slide your right arm underneath your left arm with your palm facing up. Let your right shoulder come down to the mat and rest your right ear and cheek on the mat. Reach your left arm to the front of the mat and keep your left elbow lifting and hips raised. Let your upper back broaden while softening and relaxing your lower back.

Stomach sleepers, try the Neck Health stretching class on Alo Moves.

Starfish Position

The Starfish sleep position is when you sleep flat on your back with your legs spread out (like a starfish!) and your arms bent up on either side of your head. Starfish can aggravate sleep apnea and snoring and it can potentially cause stiff shoulders, but otherwise it’s a solid choice for maintaining a healthy spine and neutral neck since you’re on your back. Here are a few moves to release tight shoulders if you sleep like this:

Reverse Prayer

Bring your arms behind your back and join your palms together with fingertips pointing up. Reach up between your shoulder blades and relax your shoulders down. If that feels uncomfortable, try clasping your elbows behind your back or pressing your fists together instead.

Modified Camel Pose

Start in a kneeling position. On an exhale, place your hands behind you on the floor and lift your hips forward, feeling your chest and hips open. Take a few deep breaths and ease back into your kneeling position.

Bridge Pose

Begin by lying down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mat. Bring your feet hip-width apart and lift your pelvis up, tucking your shoulders underneath you. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your hips higher. If it feels good, clasp your hands behind your back. Push your head down into the mat and lift up through your chest even higher, pushing your hands and arms into the mat for a nice shoulder and chest stretch.

Starfish sleepers, try the Smarter Shoulders flexibility class on Alo Moves.

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The Best Yoga Stretches For Every Sleep Position