Youve been sleeping on your side for years. Is it possible to switch to sleeping on your back? Or what if youre an avid back sleeper with a newfound reason to lie in bed on your side? Is making that change doable?

Spoiler alert: It is in fact, often its even necessary. Our bodies change as we age and so do our sleep needs, explained Dr. Chris Winter, a double board-certified sleep specialist and Mattress Firm sleep health expert.

If youre recovering from an injury, for instance, you may need to alter your default sleeping position. Snoring, newly diagnosed sleep apnea and nasal congestion can be other reasons to experiment with switching positions.

If you or your partner are pregnant, its likely youll change your sleeping positions over the course of those nine months, Winter added. This means shifting away from being a default stomach sleeper and avoiding lying on your back in the second trimester and beyond.

Having a new bed partner can also be a catalyst for altering your preferred sleep position. You may be used to sleeping facing left, but now that would put you face to face with your partner and you dont want that, so you need to switch to the other side, Winter said.

According to experts, its definitely possible to change how you sleep. It will, however, take some effort. Heres a look at a few reasons why you may need to switch up your sleeping position and tips from sleep experts on how to do it.

The Best Sleeping Position For Certain Situations