Living with heart conditions can make getting enough rest a daunting challenge, so it is crucial that you know which sleeping position will provide optimal restorative results for your health.
Studies suggest that sleeping on your back may be best for heart health, reducing back and neck pain as well as helping acid reflux and edema symptoms.
Lying face-up
Sleep is essential to good cardiovascular health, and how you sleep in can make a dramatic difference to both. Sleeping on your back may relieve back pain while also decreasing risk factors for sleep apnea – an indicator of high blood pressure.
Lying flat on your back (also known as the supine position) is widely considered the healthiest sleeping posture. This position allows your head, neck, and spine to relax into neutral positions that reduce muscle tightening that could potentially cause back pain as well as help regulate your circadian rhythm which can play an essential role in maintaining overall heart health.
However, lying down can pose difficulties for those with heart disease or who suffer from palpitations due to increased parasympathetic nervous system activity when lying down – potentially leading to AFib and heart palpitations during this position.
Position can cause snoring and worsen obstructive sleep apnea in some individuals, and interfere with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which is typically located on the left side of your chest.
Sleeping on your left side may also be beneficial, and is recommended by many healthcare providers, especially for pregnant women and those suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Furthermore, sleeping this way relieves pressure off internal organs, relieving symptoms associated with congestive heart failure such as snoring and acid reflux.
Sleeping on your stomach
Many people who sleep on their stomach find the position the most restful and natural way to rest, and some have done it since they were children. Unfortunately, however, this position puts stress on both neck and spine causing back pain; furthermore it creates a twisted position restricting blood flow to other parts of your body; can lead to herniated discs in lower spine; causes indigestion/heartburn as well as wrinkles due to facial contact against pillow; furthermore it contributes to wrinkles as it presses against pillow constantly causing face contact between pillow and pillow and face; finally it leads to wrinkles with skin press against pillow while your neck/spine are under pressure as it pushes against pillowtop.
As research published by ScienceDirect demonstrated, stomach sleeping should not have an adverse impact on health unless an underlying condition exists. Furthermore, scienceDirect also showed that heart failure patients who slept on their right side experienced better outcomes compared with those sleeping on the left. Sleeping this way relieves pressure off of the inferior vena cava vein that returns blood from legs and feet back into the heart, potentially improving outcomes over those sleeping left side.
But still, it is recommended that those suffering from cardiovascular disease or who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib) attempt to sleep on their left side in order to reposition the heart within the chest and alter its electrical activity, thus helping reduce palpitations frequency and enhance cardiac health overall.
Sleeping on your left side
Sleeping on your left side can help relieve heartburn or acid reflux symptoms by keeping stomach contents below the oesophagus. Furthermore, this position enhances digestion while supporting healthy lymphatic drainage; pregnant women are encouraged to sleep this way during gestation.
An 2003 study suggests that sleeping on your left side may help protect against heart disease by increasing blood flow and stabilizing heartbeat rate, though this might not be appropriate for individuals with preexisting heart problems or those experiencing heart failure.
Ayurveda and traditional medical practices suggest that sleeping on your left side may be best for the heart, as this keeps the aorta closer to the chest wall, helping maintain more regular heart beat. Furthermore, this position helps avoid back pain while relieving neck stiffness.
Some experts argue that sleeping on one’s left side reduces snoring and sleep apnea; however, scientific proof for this claim remains limited.
As with anything, developing the habit of sleeping on the left side can take time and practice. If you need extra support to remain in this position, using a body pillow or propping pillow could help – eventually though, you should find yourself naturally drifting off onto this side without conscious effort; but don’t be discouraged if your right side takes over regularly; your body has ways to adapt both sides!
Sleeping on your right side
Are You Curled Up On Your Right Side When Sleeping? (Try Sleeping Curled up On Your Left Side for Best Results.) Sleeping curled up on one’s right side may be beneficial to the back and hips; however, this position can also cause heart palpitations as well as cause significant discomfort if done incorrectly.
Sleeping on your right side, gravity shifts internal organs towards the left side and exerts pressure on the lungs, decreasing their capacity and straining cardiovascular systems. Long-term right-sided sleeping may result in shoulder, neck, or hip pain for some individuals.
Sleeping on your right side reduces sympathetic nervous system activity, which governs your “fight or flight” response and prepares your body for physical activity. Furthermore, this position may help avoid build-up of waste proteins in your brain while supporting an efficient lymphatic system.
No single sleep position can provide optimal restful slumber for everyone; what matters most is getting enough restful zzzs each night to support body and mind health. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try switching positions until you find what works for you; otherwise consult your physician for personalized advice.
