Not only is it important to sleep for the right number of hours every night, but ensuring healthy sleep positions is vital too. Sleeping on one side, or your back can have an impact on your heart, brain as well as overall well-being. Healthy sleeping positions can also help improve and prevent health problems. Therefore, it is very important to understand how to sleep well. Poor sleep can lead to a host of difficulties such as weight gain as it can impact your appetite as well as your mood. Other serious implications of sleep apnea and insomnia can impact your heart, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Read on to understand the healthy sleep positions to adopt to improve your heart and overall wellness.

Is there a connection between how to sleep and your overall health?

Sleep positions have an impact on your health. “There are some specific sleeping positions that make it difficult for you to snore, make you rest well and even prevent some illnesses. You can also alleviate some health problems, increase your sleep performance, and avoid discomfort by sleeping in the right position,” explains internal medicine specialist Dr Basavaraj S Kumbar. Sleeping in healthy positions can encourage good sleep. This good sleep, in turn, improves brain performance, as well as your mood, states this study, published by the US NIH. Check out these exercises to beat insomnia as well as sleep apnea. There is a deep connection between the quality of sleep and health concerns. A study, published in Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency, suggests that not getting enough sleep can increase your chances of poor heart health as well as other ailments.

What are the benefits of sleeping on your right side?

Right-side sleeping postures help prevent heart diseases because they exert less pressure on the heart. “There is increased lymphatic drainage, and the chances of acid reflux are also minimal,” explains Dr Kumbar. A study published in Echocardiography observed that participants who suffered from a heart muscle disease called consecutive dilated cardiomyopathy, preferred to sleep on their right sides.

However, it is important to note that it might cause slight heartburn and even increase snoring which wouldn’t be the best position for everyone. A study, published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases, suggests that sleeping on the right side induces episodes of heartburn as well as reflux in the participants. This is because the stomach is relatively superior to the oesophagus. This leads to more flow of stomach acid into the oesophagus, and this can cause reflux.

What are the benefits of sleeping on your left side?

The left side sleeping position is commonly advised in patients with digestive troubles because waste can be dispelled from the colon with the aid of gravity which is moving waste towards the journey to the stomach, explains Dr Kumbar. He adds, “It lowers the severity of acid reflux and can help in heart function optimization by lessening the pressure exerted on the heart.”

Sleeping on the left side is also especially good for pregnant women. Fetal circulation is optimised when pregnant women sleep on their left side. Sleeping on your left side, with your knees bent is said to be the best position for a pregnant woman. This is also because it helps the fetus not put pressure on the large vein called the inferior vena cava. This circulates the blood in your feet as well as your legs. Check out our other tips to sleep well during pregnancy.

How should you sleep after a heart attack?

After a heart attack, sleeping on your back with your head elevated is generally recommended to reduce pressure on the heart and improve breathing, says Dr Kumbar. Sleeping on the left side can also be beneficial as it may reduce strain on the heart. Avoid sleeping on your right side, as it can compress the heart. However, this should only be followed if you don’t have problems such as sleep apnea. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, states that sleeping face down, on your stomach, helps alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea can worsen heart disease and increase the risk of heart failure. However, another study, published in the Journal of Electrocardiology, states that sleeping on the left side can cause changes in ECG or Electrocardiogram that measures the electrical activity of the heart.

Ideally, it is best to consult your doctor regarding which position is best to sleep in after a heart attack.

How should you sleep if you suffer from high blood pressure?

When sleeping with high blood pressure, the left lateral position might be suitable, as it may relieve compression of the blood vessels and encourage better blood flow, says Dr Kumbar. Alternatively, the supine sleep posture with the head slightly elevated may also facilitate blood flow and lessen the load on the heart. The American Heart Association states that people who suffer from high blood pressure should not sleep flat on their back as this increases their chances of heart failure, heart attack as well as a stroke.

How should you sleep if you have digestive problems?

For issues relating to heartburn or other digestive issues, you should sleep on the left side, recommends Dr Kumbar. “This keeps the stomach contents below the esophagus therefore there is a little chance of getting the acid back up,” he says. This position, of course, also allows for better digestion as waste is less likely to hang up inside the colon. A study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, states that sleeping on the left, resulted in a shorter exposure time to stomach acid. This helped the oesophagus to clear faster.

How should you sleep if you have a cold or a cough?

In the event of a cold or cough, lying down and elevating the head can assist in keeping the airways open and avoiding nasal obstruction. “This position helps to decrease the likelihood of coughing during sleep and drainage of mucus accumulation in the throat as well,” says Dr Kumbar. However, make sure to not elevate your head too much, as this can lead to neck pain. Check out some tips to get rid of cold and cough in a jiffy.

Sleeping on your back is a healthy sleeping position for back ache. Image courtesy: Pexels

How to sleep to promote overall health?

To optimise health and conditioning, always sleep in a position that keeps your spine in its natural position, does not compress the organs and promotes blood circulation. Any positions that feel too uncomfortable or that put too much strain on the body are not recommended and it may be necessary to use the pillows to support the body to achieve a good sleeping posture for the rest of the night.

Summary

Sleeping well throughout the night is essential to stay fit and healthy. While research has provided us with many healthy sleeping positions that can help your heart as well as overall well-being, it is very important to be comfortable. An uncomfortable sleep position might do more harm than good. Therefore, working out the best sleep position that keeps you healthy as well as comfortable would be ideal. According to research, sleeping on the left side is great in pregnancy as it puts less pressure on your heart while sleeping on the right side showed effective results with people who suffered from heart diseases. Sleeping on an elevated pillow is great if you have a cold and cough.

Sleeping on your left side in pregnancy is the safest. Image courtesy: Pexels

FAQs

Which is the healthiest sleep position for your heart?

Sleeping on your right side seems to be one of the most healthy sleeping positions for your heart. Sleeping on your left side can impact the way your heart functions.

What is the most natural sleeping position?

The most natural sleeping position would be sleeping on either side. This keeps the spine straight and can help with lower back pain as well.

Which sleeping position is best for backache?

If you have backache, you can try to sleep flat on your back. To make this position more comfortable, you may place a pillow under your head and one more under your knees. This helps to keep the spine aligned and provides enough support. This position is considered to be one that can help make your skin healthier as well.

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