Everyone knows that sleep is very important for maintaining a good physical and mental health. But did you know that sleeping on your left side can benefit you in a number of ways? Here are six potential benefits why you should give this sleeping position a chance:
It Promotes Better Drainage of the Lymphatic System
You may didn’t know this, but your lymphatic system plays a number of roles, and one of them is the removal of toxins and other impurities in the body. Experts say that your lymphatic system drains into the so-called thoracic duct which is situated on your lefts side. This is the reason why sleeping on your left side may help in facilitating and accelerating the flushing out of anything that should not stay in your body. Since your lymphatic system also gathers protein and others that have escaped your cells, sleeping on the left side can help in bringing them back to where they belong.
It Lets Your Spleen Do Its Job Much Better
As you probably know, your spleen is a large organ that is a part of your lymphatic system. Sleeping on your left side helps your spleen do its job effectively while you are asleep because it is situated in the left part of your body. By sleeping on your left side, gravity promotes the flow of blood to the spleen, allowing this large structure at the back of your stomach to filter out impurities.
It Also Prompts the Gut to Eliminate Waste Products
In the left side of your body, in a place called the ileocecal valve or IV, is located the junction of your small intestine and large intestine. It’s exactly for this reason why sleeping on your left side can help promote the proper elimination of waste products by encouraging their transfer from the small intestine to the large intestine. Allowing gravity to participate in the action helps promote regular bowel movement.
It Prevents You From Experiencing Heartburn at Night
Lying on the left side can help reduce acid reflux symptoms. So if you have acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease is a good idea to be on your left side while getting some Z’s. In the said position, your stomach is actually situated below the cardiac sphincter, that which connects your esophagus to your stomach. By being on your left side, the contents of the stomach are kept from flowing back into the esophagus, saving you from a bout of nighttime acid reflux or GERD.
It Saves Your Liver From Becoming Congested
Because your liver is located in the right side of your body, it’s not unlikely for it to become congested while you are spending hours in dreamland on your right side. Sleeping on your left side may keep toxins and various other substances, all of which are being neutralized by your liver before they are swept out of the body, from collecting in your liver.
It Facilitates the Normal Functioning of the Heart
Sleeping on your left side improves circulation to the heart. This theory is based on the idea of how gravity can facilitate both lymph drainage toward the heart, as well as circulation away from the heart. Being on your left side also allows your circulatory system to benefit from gravity, in particular your aorta and inferior vena cava or IVC, a large vein that carries deoxygenated blood to the heart and lies on the right side of your spine.
It is Beneficial for a Pregnant Mother
While there is nothing wrong with sleeping on the right side during your pregnancy, opting to sleep on your left side may allow you to enjoy a couple of benefits. Sleeping on your left side saves your liver from unwanted weight, allowing it to carry out its various functions without trouble. Sleeping on your left side is also said to promote better blood circulation during pregnancy. For this reason, doctors tend to recommend that pregnant women spend as much of their sleep time as possible on their left sides.
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