Sleeping On Your Left Side Lets You Enjoy These Health Benefits
We can manage to toss and turn all night long, but we all have our favorite sleeping position. You might not know, but depending on which way you sleep it can greatly affect your health! Wondering which is the best and the worst? I’ll tell ya.
Whether you like sleeping on your right side or on your tummy, each one has pros and cons that you can expect the next day – and in long term effects. Sleeping on your back is often demonstrated to be the healthiest and most natural; while it is a good resting position for your organs, it isn’t the healthiest. Studies show that sleeping on your left side is the healthiest way to sleep!
Sleeping on your back is great for back or neck pain. This is due to the fact that the back is straight and forced to conform to any odd shape. Although uncomfy, it is really healthy for you to sleep on your back with no pillow because it leaves the neck in a neutral position, and you breathe better flat. However, back sleeping puts you at high risk for sleep apnea and other breathing issues – especially snoring.
Sleeping on your left side is the healthiest way to sleep for several different reasons. For starters, the left side is more lymphatic than the right. Lymph from the body will drain left into the thoracic duct. This is opposed to the lymph just hanging out while you sleep on your right side. According to Ayurveda, the left side is entirely different than the right side. They’re not at all the same. The left side is emphasized to be beneficial for sleep and rest. Ancient tales claim sleeping on your side will even cause you to live a longer, fuller life! Who knew just switching the way you slept could have so many benefits?
Benefits of sleeping on your left side include:
- Facilitate lymphatic drainage
- Makes it easier for the heart to pump downhill
- Better elimination
- Support healthy spleen function
- Encourages proper digestion
- Helps circulation back to the heart
- Helps bile flow more freely
Sleeping on the left side is especially great for the heart. By sleeping on the left side the heart is pumping the most blood it possibly can because the aorta is arched to the left. Sleeping on the left side causes the blood to naturally descend into the aorta.
If you can manage to fall asleep on your left side you will feel better overall. In addition to your heart health, lymph drainage, posture health, and better digestion, sleeping on your side is pretty comfy too! Give it a shot!