What's the best sleeping position for your heart? There is limited evidence linking a person's sleeping position with their overall heart health. While studies have found that people with heart failure often avoid sleeping on their left side, it does not show that this sleeping position causes heart problems.
Side sleeping helps prevent the airway from collapsing and can reduce snoring. "And so, all in all, sleeping on the side — perhaps with their head slightly elevated as long as that's comfortable — is a good way to sleep," says Dr. Krahn.
Sleep on your right side to protect your heart
Data has shown that when people lie on their left side during sleep, the position of their heart shifts due to the pull of gravity. That causes changes in the heart's electrical activity that show up on electrocardiograms (ECG).
You may have heard that drinking a glass of water before going to sleep could prevent heart attacks. While water is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, drinking water right before bed will not help prevent a heart attack. Instead, it could disrupt your sleep at night if you get up to go to the bathroom.
Reflux and heartburn: If you suffer from heartburn, sleeping on your right side can make symptoms worse, Salas says. That's true for people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and for people who have heartburn for other reasons, such as pregnant women.
Lie on your back on the floor and position both legs against the wall. Lie this way for several minutes. The blood flows to the heart, providing a soothing, relaxing experience.
Head down tilt (HDT) reduces intracranial perfusion and leads to jugular vein congestion (Marshall-Goebel et al., 2016; Kramer et al., 2017). Moreover, an increased intracranial pressure is a consequence of HDT (Lawley et al., 2017).
Sleeping on your front is considered unhealthy because it can inhibit breathing and cause irregular curvature of the spine. The turning of the head to one side when sleeping in this position is another cause of such a curvature.
Keeping your legs elevated while sleeping can help improve blood circulation, reducing symptoms like leg pain and swelling. It is also helpful to sleep on your back with supported legs. However, avoid sleeping on your right side as it can put additional pressure on your organs and blood vessels.
According to research published in the European Heart journal, going to sleep between 10pm and 11pm is linked to a lower risk of heart and circulatory disease. The study used data from over 88,000 UK Biobank participants aged 43-74, who were monitored over the course of a week.
Left Recumbent Position Decreases Heart Rate without Alterations in Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Healthy Young Adults.
If your heart is racing at night, you should: Breathe deeply: Try pursed lip breathing techniques, which involve long, deep breaths. You can also meditate and try other relaxation techniques to reduce stress. Drink a glass of water: If you're dehydrated, your heart has to work harder to pump blood.
Heart Health
Because of gravity, left-side sleeping may slightly shift the heart's position in the chest. This may cause slight positive changes measurable by echocardiogram, but more research is needed. People move around in their sleep, so sleep positioning is hard to study.
Many folks refrain from drinking at bedtime to avoid needing to get up during the night. But cardiologists advise differently. A glass of water before sleeping can help to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Some early warning signs of stroke may be numbness or weakness in your arms, legs, or face, confusion, or difficulty walking. A TIA can also be an indicator of a future stroke that may occur within three months.
Log Position
And that's great because it's good for your health. Resting on your side, with your back mostly straight, can help cut down on sleep apnea. It can also nix neck and back pain since your spine stays aligned.
Optimal Sleep Position for Heart Health
Here are the most common sleep positions and their effects on heart health: On Your Back: Sleeping on your back with your head slightly elevated is often recommended for overall health. This position can help keep the spine aligned and reduce pressure on the heart.
Sleeping on the right side is often considered the best sleeping position for heart palpitations and overall heart health. Research suggests that right-side sleeping: Reduces pressure on the heart. Lowers the risk of irregular heartbeats.
Reclining, on the other hand, compresses the chest cavity, altering the natural alignment of the body and potentially impeding blood flow. This altered posture can restrict the movement of the diaphragm, reducing the efficiency of breathing and placing added strain on the heart.
Stomach Sleeping
Sleeping on the stomach, also called the front or prone position, is the least-popular sleep position among adults. Like unsupported side sleeping, lying prone has also been associated with neck pain and poor-quality sleep in some studies.