Many Good Reasons and Health Benefits of Sleeping On Your Left Side

With a good (night) sleep you are bound to have a good feeling afterwards, and the goodness of sleep goes way beyond just improving or elevating your mood, or expelling under-eye circles. Getting adequate sleep is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, which also benefits your heart, weight, mind, and more. But beyond just sleeping, experts through research say you stand to even better benefit your overall health if only you know ‘how to sleep’ better.

Sleeping position is important (Source: Google images)

Sleeping position is a very important aspect of the sleep process which must be taken into consideration, experts have discovered.

Typically, we all have our favourite sleeping positions even though we at one time or the other will still try out the other many positions there are - during the night for example.  The very familiar positions people assume as they drop off to sleep are such as - lying on the side, stomach, back, or curled up like in the position of a foetus.

A number of people will prefer to lay fairly still throughout the night, while others will toss and turn while sleeping. But all is fine and okay provided you do not wake up feeling uncomfortable.

You may need to change your sleeping position (Source: Google images)

On the other hand, your sleep could be better than just normal; it could turn out to be wonderful. During sleep experts say, your body remains very active until you awake – storing up memories, digesting your night meal, and getting your batteries recharged, and, of course, absorbing oxygen and carrying out blood circulation. It’s important therefore to understand that the position you assume when sleeping matters a lot in how effective these processes work out. There is actually what experts have come to agree as being the best sleeping position.

Sleeping on your left side is the perfect standard in seeping position, and studies have seven (7) good reasons for this.

Yes, it is a fact that contrary to popular belief, that digestion will still take place however you sleep or whichever position you assume, but it is important also that you assist your system carry out its functions with as little effort as possible by sleeping on your left side.

That is so for the reason that our stomachs are positioned to the left side of the abdomen so that when you lie on your left side, food is enabled to travel into the large intestine more effortlessly. This as well prevents the stomach from sitting on top of the pancreas, which aids in the free movement of digestive enzymes.

Good sleep adds to your health (Source: Google images)

To sustain life – right from the onset your heart must keep beating without a break. This onerous task of your heart can as well be affected by a lot of factors ranging from the food you eat up to the quality of air in your environment. Little wonder then that heart disease is the number one killer disease among adults worldwide. According to research, to reduce your risk, you should help your heart in doing its work with greater ease - by sleeping on your left side.

Many at times we wake up feeling uneasy owing to the fact that we slept in some unusual position, sometimes leading to a strain in the back or neck. Thus it is rare to find anybody who’s never experienced this sort of thing. If you’re fond of waking up and feeling uncomfortable frequently, sleeping on your left side might just do the trick for you.

The lymphatic system is an interconnected system of spaces and vessels between your body tissues and organs by which lymph circulates throughout your body. This system plays a vital part in transporting fluid throughout your body, and also within your immune function. Lymph is capable of eliminating poisons as well as other waste matters, meaning that any blockage anywhere in the system will lead to poor health condition.

Good sleep, good health (Source: Google images)

For a long time sleeping on the left side of the body has been known to aid in the filtering out of wastes by the lymphatic system. Lymph drains to the left through the thoracic duct; also know that this position allows gravity to assist a natural bodily function.

And yes, heartburn – that unpleasant sensation can actually be as a result of eating shortly before bedtime, and at a lying face down position for instance, it’s likely to allow stomach acid to creep up your oesophagus more easily. It’s amazing that research has discovered that sleeping on your left side can reduce or stave off heartburn completely whereas sleeping on your right hand side can actually bring it about.

Fact is as we lay on our left side, the junction of the stomach and the oesophagus is kept above the level of stomach acid. Conversely, on the right side, the lower oesophageal sphincter is relaxed and is able to allow acid seep through.

Other benefits derivable from sleeping on your left side according to studies include the fact that it helps pregnancy during which a woman has blood circulation for two separate individuals. It therefore allows for a free flow of blood, and the best blood flow for the two bodies, experts say. Also, it prevents snoring because it keeps your tongue and throat in a neutral position while making your airways clear of obstruction.