Can Sleeping Positions Impact Your Digestive Health?
Did you know that our sleep quality and digestive health go hand in hand? Read on to find out more!
It is fairly typical to wake up in the middle of the night for a variety of reasons. However, if we begin to cite the reasons why we may be experiencing this so regularly, a number of factors may emerge, one of which being the posture we are sleeping in. The position we sleep in, whether left, right, on our stomach, or on our back, has a greater impact on our digestion than we probably realized.
To begin, there is a correct and incorrect sleeping position. According to specialists, the best position is on our left side, while the worst position is on our stomach. Bloating, heartburn, and abdominal soreness can result from sleeping in the improper position. A variety of things can contribute to midnight indigestion. These include your intestinal health, what you ate for dinner (or a late-night snack), when you last ate, and, last but not least, your sleeping posture.
Gravity has a significant impact on our digesting process. Gravity aids in the movement of food downward into the intestines. It helps this process run properly and prevents gastrointestinal troubles caused by the esophagus. Several studies have found that moving about or walking around a little bit after eating helps with digestion. However, if we end up napping, we may get stomach problems later.
Which Sleeping Position Is The Right One?
Find out which sleeping position will aid in the digestion process.
The Left Side Is The Right Side
Because our organs are largely concentrated on one side of our bodies, sleeping on one side might cause organ compression. Sleeping on the right side, on the other hand, can help with digestion and increase our sleep quality. Because of these specific reasons, specialists recommend that we sleep on our left side. The reason behind this is that gravity helps our organs digest meals faster than when we sleep in any other posture.
Sleeping on your back
Sleeping on our backs is a normal and healthy position. It keeps the spinal cord in proper alignment and prevents our organs from being crushed by other organs, which is common when we sleep on our right side. Sleeping on our backs is the healthiest option, especially if we have back or neck pain. The sole disadvantage of this position is that it may cause acid reflux, especially if you sleep shortly after a large meal.
Sleeping On Your Right
When we sleep on our right side, our stomach is above our spine and esophagus. This way our stomach will not be compressed, however, this position also has a higher risk of causing acid reflux as per studies conducted by JAMA Internal Medicine
Sleeping On Your Stomach
This is one the least ideal positions recommended for our sleep health as well as our digestive health. Sleeping on your stomach means that you are putting extra pressure on your tummy. It could hinder the digestive process and aside from that, sleeping in this position could also lead to back pain, hip pain and neck pain.