which side should i sleep on to prevent gerd

Studies show that it can increase acid reflux and heartburn at night.

Poor blood flow isn’t the only downside to getting shut-eye while laying on your side. There can be so much crushing pressure that you lose blood circulation, explains clinical psychologist Michael Breus, PhD, a board-certified sleep specialist and author of “GOOD NIGHT: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health.” Eventually, you’ll wake up and need to roll over. The Bad: Ever slept on your side and woken up with a numb arm? That pins and needles feeling comes from “capillary crush,” when the weight you’re putting on your arm, or another numb body part, is putting intense pressure on your blood vessels. (There’s only so much space in there, after all!) During pregnancy, the heart is already working harder to support the baby, and snoozing on the right side, combined with the extra pressure from the organs, could hinder the flow of blood to mom’s heart - and to the little one, says Winter. Pregnant women in particular should consider sleeping on their left side because the baby is pushing their organs upward, says Winter. If you sleep on your right side, the pressure of your body smashes up against the blood vessels that return to your ticker, but “sleeping on your left side with your right side not squished is supposed to potentially increase blood flow back to your heart.” And anything you can do to help your most important organ pump more efficiently is good for your health, he says. When your heart pumps blood out to your body, it gets circulated and then flows back to your heart on the right side, Winter explains. Similarly, sleeping on your left side, specifically, could help the flow of blood to your heart. Sleep plays a very active role in removing protein pieces called beta-amyloid that can cause Alzheimer’s disease when they build up in the brain. It’s not clear if these findings carry over into humans, says Winter, though he notes we remove waste from our brains much more effectively when we’re asleep than when we’re awake. Why is this significant? Functioning glymphatic systems, which flush harmful waste products out of the brain, are key to preventing dementia and other neurological diseases. During the study, mice that slept on their sides had more efficient glymphatic systems compared to those that slept on their stomachs or backs. One animal study found that sleeping on your side might lower the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases. Snoozing on your side can help give your spine a break from the tension from holding your head up, standing or sitting throughout the day.ĭaily Burn: 9 Weight Loss Success Stories You’re Going to Want to SeeĬurling up on the right or left could also be good for your brain. The slightly curled-in fetal position recreates the natural curve your spine had in the womb, before holding your head up, sitting down or walking around changed the curvature of your spine and potentially put stress on your lower back, explains Winter. Plus, it can be ideal for your spine and might help ease low back pain. Christopher Winter, MD, medical director of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.ĭaily Burn: 6 Signs That You’re Exhausted (Not Just Tired) If you snore or have breathing problems, sleeping on your side is the best choice for opening your airways so you can breathe better at night, says sleep specialist W. The Good: Side sleeping is by far the most commonly reported sleep position, and for good reason - it can have a whole lot of health benefits. Sleep Positions: Sweet Dreaming or Total Nightmare? Here’s the scoop on the benefits and drawbacks of the most common sleeping positions.ĭaily Burn: Daily Burn: 5 Intermittent Fasting Methods: Which One Is Right for You? But if you snore like a bear every time your head hits the pillow or you wake up feeling stiff as a board, it might be time to switch things up at bedtime. When you get in bed and cozy into your covers at night, you probably don’t put much thought into whether you’re on your side, back or stomach. Side sleeping is the most commonly reported sleep position and has many health benefits

Which side should i sleep on to prevent gerd