Which side is healthier to sleep on - right or left?
We do change quite a few sleeping positions during the night, but everyone has their favorite.
So who is healthier to sleep on the left side and who on the right?
Voila system!
health
14/10/2022
Friday, October 14, 2022, 08:06 Updated: 08:32
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Twitter
Share by email
Share in general
Comments
Comments
Iris Cole interviews Prof. Rivi Tauman on sleep disorders - causes and treatment (Walla system)
For some people, sleeping at night is a simple thing that comes easily, while for others it is a daily struggle.
It can be related to the weather outside, your sleep hygiene or even your diet, but it can also be related to the sleeping position you have chosen, or the side you sleep on.
So which side is best to sleep on - left or right?
Let's start with the fact that most of the abdominal organs of humans sit on the left side of the abdomen.
Therefore, when you sleep on your left side, there is a higher chance that the contents of your stomach will stay in place with the help of gravity.
If you've rolled over on your right side, the raised position of your stomach may put you at a higher risk of experiencing reflux.
Gastroesophageal reflux is a phenomenon in which stomach contents flow back from the stomach into the esophagus.
The phenomenon causes a burning sensation that can cause significant discomfort and even lead to the formation of ulcers.
This is one of the reasons why it is not recommended to eat shortly before going to bed.
In any case, if you sleep on your right side and suffer from reflux, switching to sleeping on your left side may make a difference.
By the way, doctors even encourage pregnant women to sleep on their left side to avoid pressure of the uterus on large blood vessels and allow maximum blood flow to the mother and fetus.
So while the left side is a good choice for people with certain stomach problems, sleeping on the right side has been linked to easier breathing for people who experience sleep apnea.
A 2011 study took a group of people with the common medical condition and evaluated how left-sided versus right-sided and back-sleeping compared in terms of severity of breathing difficulties.
"We found that sleeping position had a significant effect on apnea events and sleeping position on the right side reduced the frequency of obstructive respiratory events in patients with moderate and severe disease," concluded the authors of the article.
The exact mechanisms for the association of sleeping on the right side with better breathing are not entirely clear, but were further explored in a 2018 study that examined echocardiographic changes in sleep positions.
They found that patients with heart failure preferred to sleep on their right side, perhaps a self-defense mechanism to improve heart function that the person doesn't even realize they are doing.
Right or left?
Old couple (Photo: ShutterStock)
Back or stomach?
In the case of left vs. right, there seem to be varying arguments depending on the state of health.
However, in the case of face-down sleeping, things seem to be a little clearer.
Sleeping on the stomach is considered the worst of all, as it causes an asymmetric position of the spine during the night and can definitely contribute to chronic pain.
The neck is placed in rotation to a certain side, therefore there is compression of the neck vertebrae on the same side and lengthening of the muscles on the other side.
Orthopedically, there is a connection between the neck and pain in the upper limb (shoulders, elbow and palm), as well as between the neck and lower back pain.
This is why it is important to maintain a neutral position of the neck as much as possible.
Sleeping on the back is considered good and healthy, but it is not suitable for everyone and is not recommended for those who suffer from snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep, since gravity pulls the base of the tongue on the airways and causes them to narrow.
health
news
Tags
sleep
digestion
respiratory arrest