Sleep on your left side for better digestion “It takes some pressure off your stomach.” In fact, research shows that not only do GERD sufferers who sleep on the right side experience more instances of heartburn than when on their left side, but these episodes also last longer.
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Left side sleeping may benefit pregnant people or those who experience acid reflux, while right side sleeping may be preferred by people with heart conditions. If you experience discomfort or pain, try a different sleeping position.
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.
Ultimately, there's no definitive “better” side of the bed to sleep on. What matters most is your comfort, convenience, and the quality of sleep you can achieve. Experiment with both sides and choose the one that aligns with your needs and helps you wake up refreshed and ready for the day.
According to Vastu Shastra, sleeping with the head towards the north and facing south should be avoided. This positioning is associated with Yama, the lord of death, and it invites negative energy in your living space. The negativity could lead to nightmares, disturbed sleep, and health issues.
One possible explanation for this is that sleeping on the left side causes the heart to shift positions due to the pull of gravity. This movement may cause changes in the heart's electrical signals. In addition, studies have found that patients with congestive heart failure tend to avoid sleeping on their left side.
According to Connor, you should sleep on your left side if you have high blood pressure. “This puts less strain on blood vessels, and in turn, less strain on our heart.” It also helps to keep your airway from being obstructed, which can decrease snoring and help you breathe more deeply through the night.
Gut health: There is no medical evidence to support that sleeping on one side is better than the other. However, the location of the stomach is a clue. The stomach's natural position is on the left side, where it can digest food more effectively.
Try the best position to sleep with anxiety: The best sleeping position for anxiety is on your back with your limbs splayed out, otherwise known as the 'shooting star' position or supine position. While you may feel tempted to curl on your side, this position causes muscle tension rather than relaxation.
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. Flip to your left side to cool the burn.
The Left Side of Your Heart
Your heart receives the oxygen-rich blood from your lungs in the left atrium, the first chamber on the left side. The blood then moves to the left ventricle, a powerful muscular chamber that pumps the blood back out to your body. The left ventricle is the strongest of your heart's pumps.
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.
Due to gravity, the shape of the stomach, and the angle of the connection between it and the esophagus, sleeping on your left side can greatly reduce reflux (see bottom picture). Another way to use gravity to help decrease nighttime GERD symptoms involves propping up the head section of the bed by about six inches.
Sleep on your side to boost brain power
Side sleeping could help keep you sharp and possibly reduce your dementia risk.
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.
South, if you must. North, no. This is true as long as you are in the northern hemisphere – sleeping with your head towards any side except north is okay. In the southern hemisphere, don't put your head to the south.
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.
Can You Treat Hypertension by Drinking More Water? While it is important to maintain ample hydration to prevent transient increases in blood pressure, drinking water is not a treatment for hypertension. In fact, drinking too much water may cause your blood pressure to increase.
4 of the worst sleep positions
The fetal position refers to the position that involves bowing the head forward, arching the back, bending at the hips, and flexing at the knees, which is particularly unhealthy because of how many parts of the body can be negatively affected.
In particular, the left side is recommended because it prevents pressure on the liver and facilitates healthy blood flow to the fetus, uterus, kidneys, and heart. If you feel discomfort sleeping on your left side during pregnancy, you can switch to the right side now and then to relieve pressure on the left hip.
Is It Healthy to Sleep Sitting Upright? Sleeping upright is neither inherently healthy nor unhealthy. As long as you're able to rest comfortably and get enough sleep, the upright position might be the best option.