We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is important for our health, even if we don’t always get the best amount.
But experts are now saying that the way you sleep can also have a significant impact on your health as well.
Health Expert Dr. John Douillard explains that “Emphasizing the left side for rest and sleep offers some time-tested wisdom for very real health and longevity benefits.”
As a person who sleeps on their right side, this came as a huge surprise to me. I had no idea simply changing how you go to sleep could have so many health benefits.
While these tips do have research behind them, they can never replace the advice from your doctor. But I personally can’t wait to start improving my health while I sleep!
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Are you going to try sleeping on your left side from now on? Let us know down in the comments!
Improves Blood Flow To The Fetus If You’re Pregnant
If you’ve been pregnant before, someone may have told you that it’s best to sleep on your left side. There isn’t a lot of information out there that explains why that is.
As WebMD states, “Sleeping on the left side is also recommended during pregnancy to improve circulation to the heart — good for Mom and baby.”
In fact there was a study published in the British Medical Journal that found a link between sleeping on the left side and decreasing the chance of having a stillborn baby.
Heartburn Relief
If you find yourself fighting heartburn after a spicy meal, sleeping on your left side, instead of your right, may help you a lot.
According to WebMD, “Research suggests sleeping on the left side can relieve heartburn symptoms, while right-side sleeping makes them worse.”
Stops Snoring
If you’re prone to snoring, this one is especially important. Rather than any medications or expensive solutions, it may be as simple as changing how you sleep! It will allow not only you, but your partner as well, sleep better.
Medical Daily states “Sleeping on your side is beneficial for patients who have obstructive sleep apnea, prone to general snoring.”
Helps Improve Digestion
Simply changing the way you sleep can help your body digest food easier. It’s quite surprising to see how simply sleeping on your left side can help your body with so many things.
According to Dr. John Douillard, “Sleeping on the left side allows gravity to encourage food waste to move more easily from the small intestine to the large intestine.”
Keeps Your Heart Healthy
The heart is one of the most important organs in the body and making sure it’s healthy is important for everyone to do. Thankfully, sleeping on the left side can help here, too.
As Dr. John Douillard explains, it will allow your heart to work a little less as you sleep.
“It makes sense that if you sleep on your left side, the lymph drainage toward the heart will again be helped by gravity, taking some of the workload off the heart as you sleep.”
Promotes Spleen Health
The spleen is an often forgotten about, yet still important organ. It’s also an organ that will see good health benefits if you sleep on your left side.
“When you you lay on the left side, drainage back to the spleen is once again helped and made easier by gravity,” Dr John Douillard explains.
Helps Lymphatic System
While many people don’t often think about their lymph nodes — located in the neck or armpit area — they actually serve a very important role in keeping your body healthy. Thankfully, sleeping on your left side will also help keep them in good working condition.
Healthy Life Tricks explains, “The left side of the body is the dominant lymphatic side, and while you’re sleeping on this side, your body will have more time to filter toxins, lymph fluid, and waste.”
Promotes A Healthy Circulatory System
Left-side sleeping can not only help blood better circulate though your body, but also decrease varicose veins.
According to Vein Clinic, “If you have varicose veins, it’s a good idea to sleep on your left side — this improves circulation by reducing pressure on your vena cava (the body’s largest vein), located on the right side of the body.”
How Do I Train Myself To Sleep On My Left Side Only?
While it seems like an impossible task — especially for someone who tosses and turns constantly, keeping your body on one side is actually fairly easy.
Here are two easy, effective, and most importantly, free methods you can try.
Many have found success by sewing a tennis ball on the back of your pajamas. When you begin to turn over in the middle of the night, the ball will stop your body and you will return back to your normal position.
However if you don’t want to deal with sewing, another easy method is just putting a body pillow against your back. The large obstruction will completely stop you from rolling over in the night. Instead you will sit in the same spot the entire night.
So are you interested in trying to sleep this way? Or will you continue to sleep how you always have? Let us know down in the comments!