sleeping woman
By now most people are aware of how getting a solid night sleep is vital for both physical and mental well-being, but you might not be aware of the importance of the position that you sleep in and how that plays a role in your journey for optimal health. According to research that was conducted at the National Sleep Foundation, sleeping on the left side will be your ticket to better health and sleep. Lying on the left side is great for your back, your heart, and your digestive system too. Here are six reasons you should sleep on your left side to the way the organs are positioned while lying down.

1. Excellent for Your Heart

By lying on your left side at night, you are improving the circulation of blood to the heart. According to the American Heart Institute, physicians have been telling their pregnant patients for decades that by sleeping on their left side during the later months of the pregnancy can reduce discomfort by improving circulation to the heart. The reason sleeping on your left is so effective, you are taking some of the pressure off the heart for eight hours at a time. When you are lying in bed, gravity will facilitate aortic circulation from the heart and lymph drainage.

2. Reducing the Symptoms of Heartburn

Lying on the left side while you sleep can have a positive impact on painful symptoms associated with acid reflux. According to a study that was published in The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, when you lay down for the night on the left side, the stomach is positioned lower to the mattress. Rather than the gastric juices backing up the digestive tract while you sleep on the right side, they stay in the stomach where they belong. If you are struggling to sleep after eating a meal, lie down on the left for ten minutes and the heartburn will begin to subside. Even lying on the couch on your left following a large meal will allow the body to process those foods more effectively so you do not feel those painful symptoms later in the evening.


Comment: Any natural method of relieving heartburn is preferable to dangerous prescription medications. Especially considering one of the side effects could be face melting. The first step to address the problem would be to revamp your diet.


3. Improving Your Digestion

The digestion process is still going on within the body when you crawl into bed each night. In order to allow your body to operate efficiently, it really comes down to a matter of gravity. When you are lying on our left side in bed, the food waste will have an easier time moving from your large intestine down to the descending colon. This can help you to have easier bowel movements earlier in your day. When you fall asleep lying on your left side, the pancreas and stomach are hanging naturally because they are positioned on the left of the body. Sleeping in this position allows digestive process and pancreatic enzyme development to operate without interruption. The result is you sleep more soundly while the body is breaking down your foods for elimination.

4. Help Relieving Back Pain

According to research conducted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, those suffering from chronic back pain will experience relief by sleeping on their left sides. When you are sleeping on the right side, the spinal cord has tremendous pressure on it and can lead to a disrupted night sleep. Conversely, sleeping on your left side relieves that spinal cord pressure and will allow the body to feel more comfortable. The end result, you wake up feeling more refreshed without the soreness in the lower back region. The effects might now appear overnight, so be patient and you will begin to notice that your lower back pain issues lowly subside.


Comment: While sleep position may offer some help, chronic back pain can be debilitating and needs to be addressed directly. It seems, with more and more research on the topic, that exercise and movement is the key. See:

5. Beneficial for Pregnant Women

Studies revealed by the American Heart Association show that there are more benefits for pregnant women sleeping on their left sides that just improved blood circulation. By lying down on your left side when any symptoms of discomfort arise, it will begin to reduce the pressure on the lower back, protect the uterus from squeezing against the liver, while increasing blood flow to the fetus, kidneys, and uterus. By lying on your left side, pregnant women will be able to reduce painful symptoms during the day and help maintain optimal health of the fetus. It is recommended that when feeling any signs of discomfort during the pregnancy, to lie down on the left during the day as often as possible.

6. Promoting a Healthy Lymphatic System

In studies by Web-MD concerning Ayurvedic medicine, when you go to sleep at night lying on the left, the body has the ability to better filter the lymph waste and fluid. The reason this process runs more efficiently is because the left of the body is considered your dominant lymphatic side. Sleeping in that manner will also process waste from the brain more effectively too. While lying on the left, the entire system is running without disturbance and can help you to feel more refreshed and revitalized when you awake. Conversely, when you lie on the right side, it slows down these processes and reduces their efficiency.

While it is always a good idea to consult with your physician before making any changes in your sleeping routines, by lying down on the left opposed to the right, your body will benefit in numerous ways. If you are having trouble sleeping because of heartburn or back pain, switching to the left side will help you find some relief. These six reasons you should be sleeping on your left side should convince you it is time to make the switch. In the beginning, it will be just creating any other habit, so don't get discouraged if you roll back out of habit. Try by placing a pillow in the small of your back to discourage you at night from rolling over to your right side.

Consider buying a new mattress that supports side sleeping too, because in this position you are going to have more pressure on the hips and shoulders. In no time, your body will respond positively and you will feel the beneficial effects.