Sleep is an integral part of a human’s daily activity and we have come to understand from various studies the importance of quality of sleep rather than quantity of sleep. Though many recommend humans should get at least 7-8 hours sleep, they miss out on the fact that quality of sleep during those 7-8 hours is what will decide whether the human will be healthy or not. Though the USA is one of the advanced countries when it comes to research and has updated technologies to enhance every part of human life, studies have found out that 40% of the American population doesn’t get enough sleep! Researchers have found out that not getting enough sleep leads to serious health problems like depression, weight gain, and blood pressure problems and so on.
Even those who get to sleep for 7-8 hours a day are not getting quality sleep due to various reasons. One of the main reasons for not getting quality sleep according to experts is the position in which they sleep. Many are facing complicated health problems only because of how they sleep. Senior therapist at St. John-Clark Pain Treatment Center, Kevin Wade says, the position you are comfortable sleeping could be a major reason for the back pain, shoulder pain and stomach pain that you are suffering from a long time.
Dr. John Douillard, Sleep expert and chiropractor has through years of study found out that sleeping on the right side is harmful to a human being. He says the way you sleep can be a major benefactor in determining the well being of your health and hence it is beneficial for you to sleep on the left side. Several experts who have spent years studying the benefits and problems of sleep agree with Dr. Douillard that it is beneficial for humans to sleep on their left side.
Here are the top benefits one receives by sleeping on the right side and abandoning sleeping on the left side:
- Proper Elimination of Waste Products
It is found out that the junction between the small intestine and large intestine is situated on the left side of a human body, at the area called the ileocecal valve. It becomes easier for the waste products to move from small intestine to large intestine when you sleep on the left side as gravitational force makes the process run more smoothly. This results in allowing the colon to eliminate waste products from your body more quickly. - Digestion
One of the primary reason why people face problems such as feeling bloated or having digestive problems is because of the way you sleep at night. As the stomach and pancreas of a human being are situated on the left side, sleeping on the left side augurs well for them and helps them function properly. This results in eliminating or reducing the digestive problem faced by human beings. - Good for your Heart
Douillard says as the heart is also situated on the left side of our body, it will help in the smoother flow of blood towards your heart if you sleep on the left side rather than sleeping on the right side. Sleeping on the right side might result in you putting unwanted stress on your heart and hence it is better to sleep on the left side so that your heart and the all other parts of your body gets a good rest. - Pregnancy
It is found out that sleeping on the left side with bent knees and pillow in between legs is one of the best position for a pregnant woman to sleep in as it helps in smooth flow of blood to the uterus and fetus. It is common for a woman to develop back pain during their pregnancy and hence sleeping on the left side will take pressure off their backs and also relieve pressure on their spine. Women need to spend as much time as possible sleeping on their left side, says WebMD, because sleeping in this position will help with the flow of nutrients to the placenta, which will keep the baby healthy. - Nighttime Heartburn
Sleeping in this position helps in reducing nighttime heartburn because of the fact that in this position your stomach will be situated below the cardiac sphincter which is connected to your esophagus. Thus this prevents the acidic content in your stomach from coming back into the esophagus. - Helps in protecting the liver
As the liver is situated on the right side of your body, you will be putting extreme pressure on the liver if you sleep on the right side of your body. However, the pressure on your liver will ease off if you sleep on the left side as the position will make it difficult for toxins and other harmful substances to overload in your liver.
Now that you have understood the benefits of sleeping on the left side and health problems you might face if you sleep on the right side, do make a conscious effort from today to sleep on your left side. Along with how you sleep, when you sleep is also important. Do make sure you go to bed at the same time every night and wake up fresh every morning. Please note that switching off all the lights in the room will help you sleep better.
