How Sleeping on Your Left Side Affects Your Health
People sleep in different positions. Usually, people choose the position they feel the most comfortable to sleep.
However, you might not know this, but if you sleep on the left side, you can enjoy many benefits. You might have found the perfect position, but you can try this one. After reading all the benefits, for sure you will at least try sleeping in this position.
7 Benefits of This Sleeping Position
1. Normal Heart Function
The left side of the heart pumps blood towards your body. This makes sense why you need to sleep on the left side because in that way you can make it easier for your heart to function properly even when you sleep.
In addition, sleeping in this position can help the circulatory system use gravity as a benefit, to be more specific with the aorta and the inferior vena cava, i.e., IVC which is a big vein that helps carry the deoxygenated blood to your heart and is on the right side of the spine.
2. Beneficial for Pregnant Women
There is nothing wrong if you decide to sleep on the right side during pregnancy. However, if you sleep on the left side, you can enjoy a few benefits, specifically for the last trimester.
The benefits are that it can help boost better circulation of blood, save the liver from unwanted weight by allowing it to do its various functions.
3. Improves Drainage of the Lymphatic System
The Lymphatic system removes impurities and toxins from the body. According to experts, the lymphatic system drains into the thoracic duct placed on the left side. That is why you will benefit if you sleep on the left side, as it will help to accelerate and facilitate the removal of toxins from the body.
In addition, the lymphatic system gathers protein that escaped from the cells. If you sleep on the left side, you can aid in bringing them to where they are supposed to be.
4. Help the Liver Not to Congest
The liver is on the right side of your body, and it can become congested if you spend hours sleeping on the right side.
Sleep on your left side to allow substances and toxins to be neutralized by the liver before being moved out of your body or collected in the liver.
5. Improved Function of the Spleen
The spleen is the organ that is part of the lymphatic system. It is located on the left side of your body, and if you sleep on that side, you will help the spleen to function better.
Gravity boosts the blood flow to the spleen and at the same time allows it to filter the impurities.
6. Prevent Heartburn at Night
In case you have GERD, i.e., gastroesophageal reflux disease or acid reflux, you should consider sleeping on your left side. When you are in this position, your stomach is placed below the cardiac sphincter, which connects the esophagus to the stomach.
If you sleep on the left side, the contents found in the stomach won’t flow back into the esophagus, and that will prevent nighttime GERD or acid reflux.
7. Boost the Gut to Help Get Rid of Waste Products
The ileocecal valve, i.e., IV, is a place on your left side where the junction of the large intestine and small intestine is located. You need to sleep on your left side to boost the proper elimination of waste products.
While sleeping on your left side, you help them transfer from the small to the large intestine, allowing gravity to do its work and boost regular bowel movement.
Now that you are aware of the benefits, tonight try this sleeping position. You might find it hard to adjust at first, but with time, not only will you get used to it, but you will also enjoy the benefits.
