Benefits Of Sleeping On The Left Side Of Your Body

And you, what part of the body do you usually sleep on? Right or left? Or are you perhaps one of those who sleep on your stomach? Experts advise us the left side is the best for sleeping. We explain why.

Benefits of sleeping on the left side

The title of this article may have surprised you. You may be one of those people who, until now, had never stopped to think about the fact that sleeping in a certain position can be more or less beneficial for our body. But it seems that yes, it has its importance.

The reality is that oriental medicine has been telling us for a long time that we should all sleep on the left side of our body. The doctor  John Doulliard explains it to us in this article, although not everything is scientifically proven. Let’s look at some important points:

To promote proper lymphatic drainage

The left side of the body is the dominant side of the lymphatic system. It is here where we drain, where the lymph transports important elements such as proteins, glucose, metabolites and those elements that must be filtered through the lymph nodes and that must be led to the left side.

According to the article The Effect of Body Posture on Brain Glymphatic Transport  published in The journal of neuroscience , sleeping on the side is the most efficient position for glymphatic transport of the brain. This is like the lymphatic system that the brain has to eliminate waste substances, including beta-amyloid protein. However, it does not specify that the left lateral position is better than the right.

The spleen, as you will recall, is also on the left side of the body. This organ is also a basic part of the lymphatic system, necessary to filter the blood and to perform an adequate lymphatic function.

It is said that if we sleep on the left side of our body, what we will achieve is that our fluids are directed to the spleen in a simpler way, favoring the natural sense of gravity in our body. Most of our lymphatic system does its job on this side. However, there are no scientific studies to support it.

Benefits for our gastrointestinal system

On the one hand, a study published in the Journal of clinical gastroenterolog states that sleeping in a lateral position on the left side reduces gastroesophageal reflux. Also, he says, elevating the head or torso a little is beneficial for this condition.

According to the article Aspects of sleep effects on the digestive tract,  sleeping on your side helps release acid from the esophagus, increases salivation, and increases esophageal contractions. Specifically, the left lateral position is associated with fewer episodes of reflux than the right.

You may not remember right now, but both the stomach and the pancreas fall into our body on that left side. If our sleeping position is on this side, with this we promote better digestion.

It is a way to better channel gastric juices, also favoring pancreatic enzymes to be more easily secreted. Everything is done in this way more slowly and not suddenly, as for example it usually happens when we sleep on the right side.

Wellness for the heart?

More than 80% of the heart is found on the left side of the body. Because of this, it has sometimes been said that by sleeping on that side we promote your health in a simple and natural way. It is said that the lymphatic system can drain it easier and the aorta artery can push blood better.

However, some studies claim that patients with heart problems, such as heart failure or cardiomegaly, instinctively avoid sleeping on the left side because it causes them discomfort. It has been studied that precisely this fact is a body protection mechanism to avoid dyspnea and hemodynamic compromise.

Benefits in patients with sleep apnea

Various studies, such as the one published in the journal Sleep in 2001, assure that the position in which we sleep has a great influence on the collapse of the upper airways. Thus, the lateral position reduces the severity of sleep apnea.

So you know, in general, it will always be more advisable to sleep on the left side. Even so, consult your doctor for your specific case, since there are pathologies for which this position is not indicated. Shall we try it tonight? It may cost you a bit, but in the end you will get used to it.