Mia
Sleep plays one of the most pivotal roles in enhancing a person’s health and making them feel rejuvenated in the morning. Sometimes a person can feel tired even when they wake up after 8 hours of sound sleep. People tend to neglect their sleeping positions as the potential cause of insufficient sleep. Most of us are side sleepers, and we get this urge to sleep that way. So, let’s analyze some health benefits of side sleeping and how to do it right?
Factors playing a crucial role in better sleep?
If you research deeply, you would know that a healthy lifestyle plays a pivotal role in enhancing your health and sleep quality. Before you lame the weather and sleeping position for your bad sleep, have a deep look at your lifestyle. Analyse your lifestyle and make some positive changes in your eating habits to feel better and sleep tight. Also, light exercise plays a crucial role in making you sleep sound.
A good mattress with an ample amount of bounce works best for side sleepers. If you do have a firm mattress, you can choose the best mattress topper with excellent compressibility to get enough support. Our organs are asymmetrical; hence, sleeping on the side can enhance their functionality and reduce stomach issues. Side sleeping keeps gastric juices lower within the esophagus, avoiding heartburn which can disrupt your sleep. However, you need to get only the best mattress toppers for side sleepers, such as Molecule or one of the others mentioned in Sleepingocean’s article.
Health benefits of side sleeping
There are many side sleeping health benefits that most people are unaware of. Most people only know about the disadvantages of side sleeping as it is mostly not preferred. We are here to bust some myths and let you know some benefits of side sleeping:
Reduces heartburn:
Most of the population feels hungry late, and at night, we tend to give in to our cravings. Late-night eating can cause heartburn, especially if you have spicy food. Side sleeping helps in reducing heartburns during the night. Most people who sleep on their side never complain about heartburn. Well, there is a medical reason for it. When you sleep on your side, the gastric juices are more likely to remain below the esophagus, preventing heartburn. Some pregnant ladies also sleep on their side as it prevents intense heartburns.
Boosts digestion:
Did you know sleeping on your side can boost digestion? Many people are unaware of this fact, but it is true. We feel irritated and annoyed when we have digestion issues. However, you can fix them by simply switching your sleeping position. Sleeping on your side helps in pushing down waste to the large intestine. The waste travels through the ileocecal valve into the large intestine, which increases bowel movement. It is located in the lower intestine, and its dysfunctionality can disrupt the whole system.
Reduces sleep issues:
Some people have sleep apnea or excessive snoring, which can disrupt their or other people’s sleep. Many people also go to the doctor to get treated for such issues. It is advisable to seek professional help if things get too out of hand. However, you can quickly treat these issues at home as well. Side sleeping is effective in making you snore less. It restricts your tongue from going down your throat and blocking your air passageway. The seamless flow of oxygen allows you to sleep better and snore less. It also helps in stimulating your brain health.
Reduces risk of neurological diseases:
After many years of research, it is found that side sleeping can help reduce the risk of neurological diseases. Our brain tends to hold a lot of gunk and toxins. Sleeping, working out, and a healthy lifestyle can help combat these diseases. Side sleeping helps in releasing interstitial waste, which helps in healthy brain functioning. Sleeping in the proper position can help boost brain health, concentration and also enhance intellectual ability. When you sleep on your side, you optimize your sleep, and your day goes far better than you anticipate.
How to sleep like a pro on your side?
Side sleeping can have a lot of drawbacks if you do not sleep properly. There are a few tips to ensure that your side sleeping does not turn into an issue. Let’s have a look at some tips that can make side sleeping advantageous:
- Use a pillow to support your head and your neck. Your head needs to be well-aligned with your body to enable proper blood circulation. It is essential to ensure that the pillow provides enough support and aligns with your body, do not use too many pillows.
- It is crucial to use a firm pillow not to dip your head and position it lower than the rest of your body.
- You can also place a pillow in between your knees or thighs to align your hips together. It helps in providing adequate support to your lower back and delivering comfort.
- Try to use another pillow to provide support to your arms and keep them below your face. You can hug a round pillow so that your arms are well-rested.
Conclusion
If you are a side sleeper, you may have heard advice from people to change your sleeping position. There are various myths about side sleeping, and we have busted them by letting you know its immense benefits. However, there are some disadvantages of sleeping on your side if you do not well-align your body. You can feel shoulder pain and tightness in your jaw. You would not feel any of the side effects if you use the pro tip mentioned above. On the other hand, using the best mattress topper, mattress and pillows also make your sleep more blissful. Do set aside some budget to invest in these things to sleep sound.
