Getting a good night's sleep is essential for your overall health and wellbeing. While some people prefer to sleep on their back or stomach, sleeping on your side can offer a range of benefits. From improved circulation to better digestion, there are many advantages to sleeping on your side. Sleeping on a symmetrical side is preferable to sleeping on an asymmetrical side.
This helps support the natural curvature of the spine, from the head to the hips, and can help prevent any discomfort in the morning.
Sleeping on your left side
is thought to have the greatest benefits for your overall health. Even so, either side can offer benefits in terms of sleep apnea and relief from chronic low back pain. The results of a 2003 study suggest that sleeping on the right side can help people with heart disease.In this sleeping position, people who sleep may feel less pressure on their heart. The results also indicate that sleeping on your right side helps stabilize blood pressure and heart rate. Sleeping on your side can help brain health by helping to distribute toxins throughout the brain so that the body can eliminate them. It can also help keep the spine aligned, leading to less pain in the lower back or neck.
This position is also good for pregnant women, as it improves circulation of the growing baby and prevents the uterus from pressing against the liver. For those who sleep head-on, placing a firm pillow under the hips can raise the lower part of the spine, making sleeping more comfortable. Cognitive problems can be prevented with good sleep hygiene, but research also shows that overall brain health can also benefit from sleeping on your side. Most doctors recommend that pregnant people sleep on their left side because the heart pumps blood more efficiently in this sleeping position and relieves pressure on the liver.
Sleeping on the left side is also thought to place the lower esophageal sphincter in an elevated position relative to the stomach (and its acid content), which can improve digestion. Unfortunately, the position that is most comfortable for you can end up causing health problems, ranging from aches and pains to sleep apnea. If you suffer from indigestion often at night, it's best to choose another sleeping position. A major problem with back sleep is acid reflux, as this position allows acid to rise back up the throat. If a person wants to sleep on their side, placing a pillow at the base of the spine will help maintain that position. You can also find relief if you rest on your right side, but doctors think sleeping on your left side is more effective. Experts agree that sleep is an important aspect of life and that most people don't get enough sleep.
Sleeping on your side means that your left shoulder is facing down while you sleep and your right shoulder is facing up. Sleeping on your side can have specific health benefits, and you can optimize these benefits by working to stay in the side sleeping position during the night. It's important to be aware of any potential risks associated with this type of sleep as well.
