Sleeping on your back has always been recommended for a good night’s sleep without neck pain or muscular ache. However, studies have shown that sleeping on your side is far more beneficial and common among adults with a higher BMI or Body Mass Index.
We sleep for about one-third of our life. So our sleeping position should not only make us comfortable and give us quality sleep but also be perfectly positioned to help our posture.
Here’s all you need to know about the six benefits of sleeping on the right side:
- Back Pain Relief
Almost 70% of people experience back pain, and some live with chronic back pain for their entire lives. Most back pains are a consequence of age or profession, e.g. dentists. But the rest are brought on by persistent bad posture that affects the natural curvature of the spine.
Sleeping in the wrong position, like on your stomach, puts increased pressure on your spine and neck, leading to pain and stiffness upon waking. People report with marked relief after they find a better sleeping position on their side.
- Reduced Risk Of Snoring And Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder involving loud snoring and improper sleep due to interrupted breathing. People who sleep on their backs complain of snoring more often than people who sleep on their side because when you’re lying on your back, it is easier for the tongue to fall back and act as an obstruction for the airway leading to snoring.
When you sleep on your right side, your airway tends to stay open, allowing an easy flow of air, helping you to breathe better. This is why, for people suffering from sleep apnea, doctors recommend finding the best position in bed and sleeping on your right side.
- Improved Brain Health
Your brain does much more than just think. It gets rid of waste throughout the day, but the more important work happens at night while you sleep. Researchers have found that waste removal by the brain is far more efficient when you sleep on your right side than when you sleep on your back or your stomach.
Sleeping on the side has also been linked to reducing the chances of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
- Improved Gut Health
Your body position greatly influences how well your digestive system performs. If you sleep on your back, the gas in your system does not escape as readily as you’d like. This not only causes bloating but may also lead to serious diseases like GERD or heartburn, constipation, and acidity.
People with such symptoms might feel more relief if they try sleeping on their right side.
- A Healthy Pregnancy
Side sleeping is the best sleeping position for pregnant women. Sleeping on your side allows less pressure to be built up in your leg and allows the heart to pump blood easily via the inferior vena cava.
Sleeping on the side also prevents the baby from putting further pressure on the vena cava. Side sleeping is the safest position to lie and sleep in during pregnancy since back pain has been found to be associated with instances of stillbirth.
- Better For People With Heart Disease
Research has backed up that many people who present with heart failure choose to sleep on their right side and instinctively avoid sleeping on their left side. ECGs of such patients show that sleeping on their left side seems to cause a lot of discomfort because of the amount of pressure it exerts on the heart.
People suffering from heart disease should sleep on their right side while avoiding sleeping on their gut or backs as well since those positions put added pressure on the lungs, making it difficult not only for the patient to breathe but also for the heart to pump blood effectively.
This difficulty in breathing can very easily cause incidences of sleep apnea and a myriad of problems associated with it. This is why people who are suffering from heart failure present with sleep apnea as well.
Conclusion
The position you choose to sleep in does not only affect your quality of sleep but also your quality of life because of its underlying associations with several diseases. So not only do you need to pick the correct position, but you also need to do it right. Correct posture and the position of your spine with respect to your neck are of paramount importance.
If you’re a side sleeper, make sure your spine is always supported.
