


People with heart failure should also avoid sleeping on their backs, since it puts pressure on the lungs and can contribute to sleep apnea symptoms. Echocardiograms of people with heart failure show that left side sleeping impacts the way the heart functions, potentially causing discomfort. Studies show that many people with heart failure naturally choose to sleep on their right side and avoid sleeping on the left side. Sleeping on the left side can relieve their heartburn, while also making it easier for their heart to pump blood to the fetus. Pregnant people can also experience heartburn, since pregnancy causes the digestive system to move more slowly. Not only are heartburn episodes more frequent on the right side, but they also last longer. When people with GERD sleep on their left side, they experience fewer instances of heartburn than when they sleep on the right side or on their back. If you get uncomfortable, physicians recommend switching to the right side for a short while rather than sleeping on your back. Sleeping on this side improves blood flow between the heart, fetus, uterus, and kidneys, while keeping pressure off the liver. Sleeping on the left side is recommended for pregnant people. People with heart failure, however, might experience discomfort on their left sides and instead prefer to sleep on their right sides. People with these conditions might want to take special care to sleep on their left side. The left side may provide more benefits, particularly for those who are pregnant, or experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Whether you should sleep on your right or left side depends on which health issues you face. Side sleeping is considered safer during pregnancy, since back sleeping is associated with an increased risk of late stillbirth in some studies. Side sleeping also prevents the baby from putting too much pressure on the vein that carries blood back from the mother’s legs to their heart.

Side sleeping is recommended for pregnant people, because it is easier for the heart to pump blood through the body in this position. Researchers analyzed whether your sleep position affects your brain’s efficiency in waste removal, and the side sleeping position allows for faster waste removal than either the stomach or back sleeping positions. Your brain gets rid of waste throughout the day and night, but it does the majority of this important work at night while you sleep. People who are experiencing heartburn, constipation, bloating, or other gastrointestinal issues may feel relief if they sleep on their side. Your body position influences how well your digestive system functions, and gas does not clear your system as quickly when you lie on your back. For this reason, physicians recommend people with sleep apnea, a serious sleep-related breathing disorder, sleep on their side to help relieve symptoms. When you sleep on your side, your airway stays open, so you can breathe easier. When you sleep on your back, it is easier for your tongue to fall back into your throat, creating an obstruction that can result in snoring. People tend to snore more when sleeping on their backs instead of their sides. When people switch to side sleeping, however, they report back pain relief. Sleeping in the wrong position, such as on your stomach, can increase the amount of pressure on your spine and lead to pain upon waking. Many people live with chronic pain, especially in their lower back. Research demonstrates many benefits to sleeping on your side. Learn more about how to sleep on your side, which side you should choose, and what else to consider. To unlock the full potential of these benefits, however, you need to get into just the right position. Side sleeping offers many benefits, from improved spinal alignment to a reduced risk of snoring, heartburn, and back pain. Not only is side sleeping preferred by 60% of adults, but it is also considered to be one of the healthiest sleep positions.
