If you’re like me, you don’t think too much about the position you take while sleeping.
Sleeping on Your Left Side: Health Benefits Galore!
Imagine: you’ve come home from (yet another) long day at work, played with the kids, cooked dinner, put the kids to bed, and maybe had some time to relax in front of the TV or read a book, so when it’s finally time to go to bed, you just have enough energy to drag yourself to the bedroom and turn off the light before falling asleep.
People’s schedules vary of course, but my point is that I’ve never really thought about how I sleep. The main thing is that I get enough sleep before the madness starts again tomorrow, right?
Well, apparently not. It may not surprise you that a lot happens in your body if you don’t get the recommended eight hours (often less, I admit, in my case). That’s why it might be good to think about how you claim those hours… even down to something seemingly light like the side you sleep on.
Most of us have a kind of favorite ‘sleep style’. That is, a preferred side while claiming our forty winks. Some sleep on their right side, others on their left. Some take the pharaoh’s position and sleep through the night lying on their back.
But it turns out that there are a lot of potential health benefits if you sleep on your left side, and we thought it only fair to share some of them with you, our beloved readers.
Where does all this come from? Well, a few different online sources actually, and while the side you sleep on will ultimately depend on personal comfort preferences, it is said that sleeping on your left side helps with the following:
Nighttime heartburn
If you suffer from acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease, sleeping on your left side can provide relief. This position helps keep the stomach below the esophagus, reducing the amount of acid flowing back into the esophagus, which often leads to the uncomfortable feeling of heartburn.
Spleen and liver function
Then we have spleen function. Sleeping on your left side promotes blood flow to the organ, allowing it to function more effectively in filtering impurities from your body and supporting your immune system.
Your liver can also benefit from this, as it is located on the right side of your body. Choosing to sleep on your left side contributes to better detoxification, allowing your body to process toxins and substances more effectively.
Pregnant women
According to the Sleep Foundation, pregnant women should ideally sleep on their left side, as it makes it easier for the heart to pump blood through the body. This is especially important during the last trimester, as sleeping on the left side relieves pressure on the liver (as mentioned above) and supports heart function.
Sleeping on the side is generally considered safer during pregnancy, as sleeping on the back in some studies has been associated with an increased risk of late stillbirth.
Healthy bowel movements
The ileocecal valve (don’t worry, I’ve never heard of it either), connects the large and small intestine and is located on the left side of your body. Allegedly, sleeping on your left side helps to promote the movement of waste from the small to the large intestine more effectively. Gravity aids in this process, contributing to better bowel movements and waste elimination.
When to consider a different sleeping position?
That being said, sleeping on your left side is not a must and it is known that different sleeping positions offer different benefits.
The main thing is that you feel comfortable all night and are willing to change positions if you find that one position is not good for you. Side sleeping, for example, can exacerbate existing pain in areas like your shoulders, because you naturally put more weight on one side when lying in the same position for hours.
We hope you have at least learned something from this article. Do you have a preferred sleeping position? If so, help us get people talking and share it in the comments.
