Most of us are well aware of the benefits of getting enough sleep. However, how many of us consider our sleeping position when it comes to our health? As it turns out, our resting pose can have a tremendous impact on our physical well-being. The way that our organs are structured can cause some sleeping positions to be more beneficial than others when it comes to digestion, spinal health, and even creating new life.
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The best sleep position of them all seems to be the left side.
Here’s why:
1. It helps to minimize back pain.
Our sleeping choices can have a massive impact on our spinal health. Since we are (hopefully) holding this pose for roughly a third of our day, a less-than-ideal sleeping position can be just as bad for your back as hunching over or lifting heavy objects. Sleeping on your left side can help to relieve pressure on your spine, ensuring that you wake up as rested a possible.
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2. Choosing to sleep this way reduces heartburn.
Because our stomach lies on the left side, sleeping on your left has been found to greatly reduce acid reflux symptoms. Following this same logic, lying on your right side can actually make heartburn worse. This is one of many reasons why doctors say…
3. Pregnant women should sleep on their left side.
Besides the reduction in heartburn, sleeping on your left side can keep the uterus from applying pressure to other internal organs such as the liver. It also improves blood flow to the fetus and the uterus, as well as crucial internal organs such as the kidneys. For the reasons explained above, it also might help to alleviate back pain, which is common during pregnancy.
4. Left-side sleeping boosts lymphatic health.
The left side of our body has been shown to be the dominant lymphatic side. Choosing to sleep this way can help your lymphatic system to work more effectively when it comes to filtering lymph fluid and processing waste materials from the brain. This theory is supported by both eastern and western medicinal practices. Like with heartburn, this is a process that can be rendered less effective by right-side sleeping.
5. It improves digestions, as well.
Lying on your left side allows food to move more easily from the large intestine into the colon, because it is working with gravity rather than against it. This means you will be more likely to process your food as you sleep, and then poop it out as soon as you wake up. Trust me, you will feel better for the rest of the day.
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As Thomas Dekker once, said, “Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” Nobody seems to get enough of it, which makes the precious few hours we do manage that much more important. Get the most out of your sleep by nodding off on your left side. You’ll wake up relaxed, refreshed, and ready to face the day!
