Which Side Should You Sleep on for Better Rest and Recovery?

 

Do you know how you sleep can affect how well-rested you feel when you wake up? That’s because different sleep positions impact the body, from reducing bowel irritability to helping with sleep apnea. You can get the following benefits when you sleep or rest on a particular side.

Sleeping on Your Left

Sleeping on your left side has numerous scientifically and medically-supported advantages. While our bodies may seem symmetrical externally, the positioning of our internal organs makes us quite the opposite. Hence, resting in a way that promotes efficient waste management should be an important element of any healthy lifestyle.

When you lie on your left side, waste travels through the ascending, transverse, and descending colon, where it is dumped in the morning, prompting you to use the restroom. In addition, it helps with sleep apnea.

Sleeping on Your Right Side

study conducted in 2003 found that sleeping on your right side could benefit you if you have cardiac issues. Heart pressure is reduced in this position, which may be more comfortable for certain people. Furthermore, resting on your right side can help you maintain a healthy heart rate and blood pressure.

Sleeping on Your Back

Sleeping on your back has many benefits. The first is that maintaining proper posture is less of a struggle.

You relieve stress on your jaw and shoulders when you lie down, which might ease tension headaches. Lying down on your back may help alleviate pain from past injuries or other chronic diseases by reducing compression and pain.

In addition, sleeping on your back can alleviate any chronic pain when you pair it with some strategic pillow support. An elevation back resting method for sleep apnea or snoring also works, as well as sleeping on your side, but you should see your doctor first to check out which degree of elevation works well for you.

Sleeping on Your Belly

One of the worst possible sleeping positions is to lie on your stomach.

Back pain is a common complaint among stomach sleepers, and there may be an underlying cause. Since most of your weight is concentrated around your middle, when you lie on your stomach, your torso presses further into the bed, putting unnecessary stress on your spine and often resulting in soreness in the upper back and neck.

Only people who snore or suffer from sleep apnea may benefit from sleeping on their stomachs since this position can help keep their airways clear. An alternative option, such as sleeping on your side, is preferable to sleeping on your stomach for this purpose.