The recovery position places an unconscious, breathing person on their side so their airway stays open and any fluid drains out of their mouth rather than back into their throat. The whole process takes about 30 seconds once you know the steps. Here’s exactly how to do it.
Before You Start: Check Two Things
The recovery position is only appropriate when someone is unresponsive but still breathing. Before you roll anyone onto their side, confirm both of those conditions. Try to wake them by tapping their shoulders and speaking loudly. If they don’t respond, look at their chest for rise and fall, listen near their mouth for breath sounds, and feel for air against your cheek. Do this for no more than 10 seconds.
If they’re not breathing or you only detect occasional gasps, that’s not normal breathing. Start CPR instead. If they are breathing steadily, the recovery position is the right move. Call emergency services first (or have someone else call), then position them.
Step-by-Step for Adults
Kneel beside the person while they’re lying on their back. The steps below will roll them toward you, so position yourself on whichever side gives you the most space.
- Near arm out of the way. Take the arm closest to you and extend it out at a right angle to their body, palm facing up. It should look like they’re raising their hand to wave. This arm will act as a brace to stop them from rolling too far once they’re on their side.
- Far arm across the chest. Reach across and take their far hand. Fold that arm so the back of their hand rests against their near cheek. Hold it there with your hand closest to their head. This hand will cushion their face once they’re rolled over.
- Far knee up. With your free hand, bend the knee farthest from you to a right angle, keeping their foot flat on the ground.
- Roll them toward you. Pull on the bent knee to carefully roll the person onto their side. Their body will follow naturally. Keep their hand pressed against their cheek as they turn.
- Adjust the top leg. Make sure their bent knee is at a right angle, with the knee touching the ground. This pulls the hip slightly forward and props the chest partly open so they can breathe easily.
- Open the airway. Gently tilt their head back slightly and adjust the hand under their cheek so the mouth angles downward. This lets any vomit or fluid drain out instead of pooling in the throat.
When you’re done, the person should look like they’re frozen mid-stride in a running pose. The bottom leg is straight and aligned with the spine, the top leg is bent with the knee on the ground, and one hand is tucked under the cheek.
Why the Position Works
When someone is unconscious on their back, the tongue can fall to the back of the throat and partially block the airway. That alone can be enough to kill a person who would otherwise survive. Rolling them onto their side lets gravity pull the tongue forward and away from the airway opening.
The side-lying position also creates a natural drainage path. If the person vomits, which is common after a seizure, alcohol poisoning, or drug overdose, fluid flows out of the mouth and onto the ground rather than back into the lungs. Inhaling vomit into the lungs (aspiration) can cause fatal pneumonia or suffocation, so this simple repositioning can be lifesaving.
What to Do While You Wait
Placing someone in the recovery position is not a “set it and forget it” action. International resuscitation guidelines stress continuous monitoring for signs that the airway is becoming blocked, breathing is weakening or turning into irregular gasps, or the person is becoming less responsive. If at any point you’re unsure whether they’re still breathing, roll them flat on their back and reassess.
If emergency services are taking a long time to arrive, consider switching the person to their opposite side periodically. Lying on one side for an extended period can compress the lower arm and reduce blood flow to it. Switching sides also gives you a natural opportunity to recheck breathing.
Suspected Spinal Injury
If there’s any chance the person has a neck or back injury, from a fall, car crash, or impact to the head, rolling them into the standard recovery position can worsen the damage. The standard technique involves significant rotation and bending of the cervical spine.
A modified technique called the HAINES position reduces this risk. Instead of placing one arm at a right angle on the ground, you extend the bottom arm fully above the head so the person’s head rests on that outstretched arm. Both legs are drawn up and bent at the hip and knee. Research comparing the two positions in 38 volunteers found that the HAINES position resulted in roughly 13 degrees less lateral flexion and about 13 degrees less extension of the cervical spine compared to the standard lateral position. That difference keeps the spinal canal in a more neutral alignment and may reduce the chance of worsening an unstable vertebral fracture.
If you suspect spinal trauma and the person is breathing adequately, the safest option is to keep them still on their back and manually hold their head in alignment until paramedics arrive. Only use the HAINES position if they’re vomiting or you cannot maintain the airway with them face-up.
Pregnant Women
For a pregnant woman, place her on her left side whenever possible. In later pregnancy, the weight of the uterus can compress the large vein that returns blood to the heart when the person is lying flat or on their right side. Left-side positioning takes that pressure off, keeping blood flowing properly to both the mother and baby. The steps are otherwise the same as for any adult.
Babies Under One Year
Infants are too small for the standard leg-and-arm technique. There are two safe alternatives. The first is to hold the baby face-down along your forearm, supporting their head with your hand. This keeps the airway open and lets fluid drain from the mouth. The second option is to lay the baby on their side with their head angled so the mouth faces slightly downward, then place a small rolled-up blanket or towel behind their back to keep them from rolling onto their back again.
For toddlers and older children, the adult technique works well. Their lighter body weight makes the rolling step easier, but the arm and leg positions are the same.
When Not to Use the Recovery Position
Do not place someone in the recovery position if they are not breathing or only gasping. They need CPR. The position is also not appropriate for someone who is conscious and responsive, even if they’re drowsy, because they can manage their own airway. And if someone is found face-down, prone, or in a position where the neck and torso are sharply flexed, the priority is to carefully roll them onto their back first, assess breathing and responsiveness, and then decide on the recovery position from there.