The Recovery Position: How to Help Someone Who Is Unresponsive but Breathing

Quick answer: use the recovery position for someone who is unresponsive but breathing normally and who you do not think has a spinal injury. Call 911 first. Kneel beside them, place the arm nearest you at a right angle, bring the other arm across the chest with the back of the hand against the cheek, bend the far knee up and roll them toward you onto their side. Tilt the head back slightly to keep the airway open and use the bent leg to keep them from rolling. Check breathing continuously. If they stop breathing normally, roll them onto their back and start CPR.

Someone collapses in the hallway, at a party or on the bus. They will not wake up when you call their name or tap their shoulder, but they are breathing. Lying flat on the back, an unresponsive person’s tongue can fall back and block the airway, and if they vomit, they can inhale it.

The recovery position is a simple way to reduce those risks while you wait for help. It takes less than a minute once you know the steps, and it is part of the core first aid skills taught by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. This guide belongs to our apartment emergency kit and preparedness guide.

Sources: American Red Cross, first aid guidance on checking an injured or ill person and the recovery position; American Heart Association and American Red Cross First Aid Guidelines; MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), “Recovery position” and “Unconsciousness – first aid”; SAMHSA Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit. Checked November 2026. This article is general safety information, not medical advice. Call 911 in an emergency and follow the instructions of the dispatcher.

When to Use the Recovery Position

The recovery position is for a specific situation: the person is unresponsive, meaning they do not wake or respond normally, but they are breathing normally. Common causes include:

• After a seizure, once the jerking has stopped
• Fainting that does not resolve quickly
• Alcohol or drug intoxication
• Low blood sugar, if the person cannot safely swallow
• After an opioid overdose once breathing has returned, such as after naloxone is given
• Some illnesses or injuries where you are waiting for paramedics

When not to use it

• Not breathing, or only gasping. Occasional gasps, called agonal breathing, are not normal breathing. Call 911 and start CPR right away. Our guide to Hands-Only CPR and AED basics explains how.
• Possible spinal injury. After a fall from height, a car crash, a diving accident or a hard blow to the head or neck, avoid moving the person unless you must to keep the airway clear or protect them from danger.
• The person is awake and talking. Let them find a comfortable position and stay with them.

First: Check, Call and Look for Breathing

Before positioning anyone, the Red Cross teaches a short sequence:

1. Check the scene for safety. Look for traffic, fire, electrical hazards or anything that could hurt you.
2. Check for responsiveness. Tap the person’s shoulder and shout, “Are you OK?”
3. Call 911, or have someone else call. Put the phone on speaker.
4. Check for breathing for no more than about 10 seconds. Look for the chest rising and falling.
5. Look for severe bleeding and other obvious injuries.

If the person is not breathing normally, begin CPR. If they are breathing normally and you do not suspect a spinal injury, move them into the recovery position.

How to Place Someone in the Recovery Position

These steps follow the method taught in standard first aid courses. Small differences exist between organizations, but the goals are the same: the person lies on their side, the airway is open, the mouth points down so fluids can drain and the body is stable.

1. Kneel beside the person, who is lying on their back.
2. Straighten their legs.
3. Position the near arm. Place the arm closest to you at a right angle to the body, elbow bent, palm facing up.
4. Bring the far arm across. Take the arm farthest from you and bring it across the chest. Hold the back of that hand against the person’s cheek nearest you.
5. Bend the far knee. With your other hand, grab the far leg just above the knee and pull it up so the foot is flat on the ground.
6. Roll them toward you. Keeping the hand pressed to the cheek, pull on the bent knee to roll the person toward you onto their side.
7. Adjust the top leg so both the hip and knee are bent at right angles. This keeps them from rolling onto their face.
8. Open the airway. Tilt the head back slightly and lift the chin so the airway stays open and the mouth angles toward the ground.
9. Check breathing again, and keep checking until help arrives.

Keep watching

Stay with the person. Watch the chest and listen for breathing the whole time. If breathing stops or becomes gasping, roll them onto their back and start CPR. If the person starts to wake up, reassure them, keep them still and tell them help is on the way.

Some first aid courses suggest turning the person onto the other side after about 30 minutes, to relieve pressure on the lower arm, if help has not yet arrived. In a city, responders usually arrive well before that.

Special Situations

Possible spinal injury

If you suspect a head, neck or back injury, the general first aid rule is to keep the person still. Move them only if their airway is at risk, for example because they are vomiting, or if the scene is unsafe. If you must roll them, try to keep the head, neck and body in line, ideally with a second person supporting the head. Our guide to head injury and concussion warning signs covers what to watch for.

After a seizure

The Epilepsy Foundation and CDC seizure first aid guidance recommend gently turning the person onto their side once the convulsions stop, to help keep the airway clear. Do not put anything in their mouth or hold them down during the seizure. Our seizure first aid guide covers timing and when to call 911.

Alcohol and drugs

People who have drunk heavily or taken drugs may vomit while unresponsive. The recovery position reduces the risk of choking on vomit. SAMHSA guidance for opioid overdose says that after giving naloxone, a person who is breathing should be placed in the recovery position and watched until help arrives, since naloxone can wear off before the opioid does. Never leave an intoxicated, unresponsive person alone to “sleep it off.” If poisoning from medicine or chemicals is possible, our guide to poison emergencies explains when to call Poison Control.

Pregnancy

For a pregnant person in later pregnancy, first aid courses generally recommend placing them on their left side. This takes pressure off a large blood vessel and helps blood flow back to the heart.

Infants

The recovery position is different for babies. For an infant under one year who is unresponsive but breathing, first aid courses teach holding the baby face down along your forearm, with the head lower than the body and supported in your hand, so fluids can drain. Watch breathing closely and call 911. If breathing stops, start infant CPR.

Young children

For a child over one year, the recovery position is similar to an adult’s. Use smaller movements and support the head as you roll.

Normal Breathing Versus Gasping

The whole decision between the recovery position and CPR rests on one question: is the person breathing normally? That is harder to judge than it sounds. The American Heart Association warns that gasping after cardiac arrest is common and is often mistaken for breathing.

Signs of normal breathing:

• The chest rises and falls in a regular rhythm.
• You can hear or feel air moving at the nose and mouth.
• Breaths come at a steady pace, roughly every few seconds in an adult.

Signs that breathing is not normal:

• Occasional gasps, snorts or gulping sounds with long pauses between them
• No visible chest movement
• Lips or face turning blue or gray
• Snoring or gurgling that does not clear when the airway is opened

When you are unsure, treat it as not breathing normally. Start CPR and let the 911 dispatcher guide you. Doing CPR on someone who turns out to have a heartbeat is far less harmful than delaying CPR for someone in cardiac arrest.

Cold, Heat and Outdoor Settings

If a person is unresponsive outdoors, such as on a sidewalk or in a park, the environment matters as well. In cold weather, put a coat or blanket over and, if possible, under them, since lying on cold pavement draws heat from the body quickly. In heat, move them to shade if it is safe to do so and loosen tight clothing. Near traffic, ask bystanders to direct cars and people around you. Stay alert to your own safety, too; if the scene becomes dangerous, wait for responders at a safe distance.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it matters	What to do instead
Leaving the person on their back	The tongue or vomit can block the airway	Roll them onto their side if breathing normally
Using it when they are not breathing	They need CPR, not positioning	Start CPR right away
Putting a pillow under the head	Can bend the neck and narrow the airway	Keep the head tilted back slightly
Leaving them alone	Breathing can stop or vomiting can start	Stay and watch until help arrives
Giving food or drink	Risk of choking	Nothing by mouth until fully awake and alert
Rolling someone with a likely neck injury without need	Can worsen the injury	Keep still unless the airway is at risk

Helping Responders Find You

In an apartment building, responders lose time finding the right door. While you stay with the person:

• Ask someone to meet responders in the lobby and hold the elevator.
• Give the dispatcher the building entrance, floor and unit number.
• Prop open the apartment door and turn on hallway lights.
• Gather any medications, pill bottles or substances nearby to show responders.

Tell paramedics when you found the person, whether they were breathing, any changes you noticed and what you did, including naloxone or CPR.

Practicing the Skill

The recovery position is easy to practice on a family member or friend. Take turns being the patient and running through the steps on a carpeted floor. Practicing once or twice makes the sequence feel natural in a real emergency. The American Red Cross and American Heart Association teach the skill in first aid classes, and many community centers, libraries and fire departments host sessions.

Pair it with CPR training. Many emergencies that start with someone unresponsive but breathing can change quickly, and knowing both skills lets you respond to whatever happens next.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use the recovery position?

When someone is unresponsive but breathing normally and you do not suspect a spinal injury. Call 911 first.

Which side should the person lie on?

Either side works for most people. For a person in later pregnancy, use the left side.

What if the person starts vomiting?

The recovery position helps vomit drain from the mouth. Keep the head tilted and the mouth pointing down, and clear the mouth if needed.

Should I use the recovery position after giving naloxone?

Yes, if the person is breathing. SAMHSA guidance says to place them in the recovery position and stay with them until help arrives.

What should I do if they stop breathing?

Roll them onto their back and start CPR right away. Use an AED as soon as one is available.

The Bottom Line

The recovery position protects the airway of someone who is unresponsive but breathing. Call 911, roll the person onto their side with the top knee bent and the head tilted back slightly, and watch their breathing until help arrives. Do not use it in place of CPR, keep a possible spinal injury still unless the airway is at risk, and practice the steps before you ever need them.