Everyone knows that sleep is very important for maintaining a good physical and mental health. However, the duration of your sleep is just as important as the way in which you sleep. Your sleep position can influence your health, help in keeping your skin look young, and improve your digestive health.
Furthermore, sleeping on the left side of your body can even save your life. If you are currently sleeping in another position, keep reading to find out why you should start sleeping on your left side right now.
It Matters Which Side You Sleep
There are several sleeping positions – your front, your back, your left side, and your right side – and they all affect your health. Sleeping on the back can be particularly dangerous for people with sleep apnea or asthma, because it can cause breathing difficulties.
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Sleeping on the right side is likely to worsen digestion problems, whereas sleeping on the left side may improve digestive symptoms.
This Is Why You Should Be Sleeping On Your Left Side
Sleeping on the left side is believed to greatly improve the health and even save lives. In holistic medicine, the left side of the body is the dominant lymphatic side, and while you’re sleeping on this side, your body will have more time to filter toxins, lymph fluid, and waste through the thoracic duct and the lymph nodes.
On the other hand, sleeping on your right side may cause your lymphatic system to run more slowly. You don’t want this to happen, because a lymphatic system that doesn’t run at full efficiency can become incapable of filtering toxins or properly moving lymph fluid throughout the body. This increases your risk of deadly diseases due to the build-up of toxins.
When you start sleeping on your left side, you might notice your body becoming more efficient at toxin disposal through waste. This happens because this position improves the digestive system, and allows your body to promptly extract nutrients and dispose toxins.
Learn to Sleep in this Position
If you normally sleep on your back, your front, or your right side, you might wonder how to break that habit and start sleeping on your left side. This will take some time and practice, but it is possible to quickly train your body to sleep in this position. Here are some tips:
You can try lying on your left side and press a full-length body pillow up against your back. The pillow will prevent you from rolling over during the night.
Try switching the side of the bed you sleep on. This will make it easier for you to flip to your other side and enjoy the same sleeping experience.
Another trick is to keep a dim light lit on your right side. Since your body will naturally want to turn away from the light during sleep, it will make it easier for you to sleep on your left side.
Try these small changes as soon as you can – they will improve your sleep routine and lead you to a better health.
Source: justnaturallife.com
Couple of yrears back I happen to read an article in a Gujarati magazine that sleeping on your left will harm heart due to lots strain happens when you sleep on your left side. Now when went thro’ this article it gives authentic good reasons and benefits if one sleeps on his left side. Pl. let me have your views. Thanks.
Excellent and very educative .
How true is this assertion?
Firstly, one is advised not to go to bed soon after eating. One has to wait for 1 or 2 hours. In many countries there is always an “early supper” — 3 to 4 hours before hitting the bed.
Secondly, everyone usually uses a pillow — the picture aggravates the so-called problem. Then all people sleeping on the right should be vomiting!
Lastly, many doctors advice sleeping to the right –so that the heart is at a higher position and it does not have to carry the weight of the other “parts” in the chest.
I read your article on the sleeping postion. I came to know that it is good to sleep on the left side. I have a concern here. Doesnt sleeping on the left side put more pressure on the heart? We see Lord Vishnu lying on his serpent bend on the right hand side. Please educate if you can. Thank you.
Thank u for the very good tips. It’s really usefull to us. Again I say thank u
It a known fact and the posture cited is appropriate. One should make it a point and practice throughly. In general people think a lot while reading but they may not adhere these principles for these things become secretary now a days.
Very useful article.Thanks a lot.
According to Ayurveda I heard that we should go to bed only after 2 hrs of food. To sleep on the left side only for about 48 mins as per Shri Rajiv Dixit ji.
you are publishing very informative articles. Thanks a lot
According to ayurveda, sleeping on the left side can pacify vata dosha,and sleeping on the right side can pacify pitta dosha.
It’s best to eat the main meal at lunch time (midday ),and eat very little at night. I usually have boiled milk with spices (medicated milk),and maybe a roti, or toast at night.
Digestion is not a problem. But I do start off sleeping on my left side.
Jai Guru Dev
Many yoga practitioners have recommended sleeping on the left side. The article was very informative giving a scientific reasoning.
Also, the other most important consideration is the direction in which one sleeps – ideally head in the South & feet facing North, but avoid the reverse. This is due to magnetic field considerations.
Maybe you’d like to throw some light on that as well. ThanQ.
Sleeping to the right side is better because load is not put on the heart if slept to the left side.
Some one told me that if you have acidity problem then try to sleep on right side after 2 or 3 hours from start of sleep time. Whether it is correct or wrong ??
By practice, most of us sleep on the left side. Personally, I feel comfortable when I sleep to the left side and feel uncomfortable on the right side. What I feel is that there will not be good blood circulation in the entire body if we sleep the entire night to one side. I have read that sleeping on the back is good for free blood circulation as is in the case of ‘shavAsana’. So, I have practiced to sleep to the left for a brief time in the beginning and then sleep on the back for rest of the night.
Thank You Very much for this useful sleeping habits!
Lord Vishnu probably sleeps on his right because he does not want his food (i.e., all the jeevarashis) to be digested. After all the entire universe is part of his body.
A practical and useful article. Those who find it difficult to sleep find this useful. Thank you.
Another excellent article… Many have comnented about the impact on our heart if slept on the right side. Ancient Ayurveda practitioners had prescribed sleeping on the left side for a healthy life. About the heart, I presume that the heart is adequately protected in our body naturally and sleeping on the left side will not affect its safety. I request any Ayurvedic doctor to throw more light on this subject. Thanks again.
Thank you sir for this useful article.
I have a doubt in the position. is the position viable (advisible) for right handers, ladies
I totally agree with Mr.N.S.Sreenivasan. And would like to add that if you have a blocked nose, then sleep on your back, after sometime it will open by itself. Hence the theory of Asthma or sleep apnoea is somewhat debatable.
Surprisingly no mention is made about function & status of other parts of the body such as Heart, lungs while sleeping on left side. Many readers informed about negative effects on heart when you sleep on left side. Can any body clarify?
Very simple advice, but of great value.
Its nice and useful article. Thanks for giving such a informative article,
What ever side you sleep one should get up from right side. This is also confirmed by Isha founder
Thanks for very useful article to every one
I am prone to acid reflux and I have found that sleeping on my right side activates the acid reflux. I therefore sleep on my left side and my sleep is comfortable.
Another point is that when we breathe through the right nostril the PINGALA nadi or Soorya Nadi is activated and this activates the left hemisphere of the brain which controls the motor funftions of the body. When we sleep on the right side we breathe through left nostril and activate the IDA nadi which controls the right hemisphere of the brain that is responsible for all mental processes. If the mental processes like thinking is active during sleep going into REM sleep will be delayed and consequently one will have more Dream sleep.
On the concern that sleeping on the left side will cause strain on the heart, I think there is no basis for the same since the pumping of the heart slows down when asleep and hence there might not be any strain on the heart whichever side you sleep.
Harihi Aum! Pranam to all blessed selves.
What matters to any body is A Good Night’s Sleep!
*So whichever position gives max sound undisturbed sleep adopt it!
Doctors advise to sleep on leftside or Right side when one has problem of shoulder pains. If Rt is having pain & sleep on Left side & visa versa.
If one sleeping say within 1/2 hr -1hr of night meal. I feel it would be advantagious to sleep on leftside. subsequently in the sleep many will chnge the sides of & on unknowingly!
So my statement marked”*” holds mettle I feel! @I feel that Heart will have no effect on its working as GOD’s design is IMPECCABLE & Body continues to function in all conditions! THANK GOD! Jai Gurudev! DO NOT WORRY WITH ALL THINGS WHICH ARE PUBLISHED & BE HAPPY! Ones Natural habit is perfectly OK which have come from child hood! SO far SO GOOD! Think Positive & Be Happy! Saying goes in every religion/dharma “As U Think U WILL BE! Enjoy the festival season which is going on with SHRAVAN MAAS! Namo Vighna Hartaya!
hi,
thanks for the article of left side sleeping.
Is it proved by any authority of science or aurvedic trophy
heart patient can do this method of left side sleeping.