We've all had periods of sleep deprivation, whether due to stress, life changes, or unhealthy habits. But your preferred situation could potentially affect the quality of your sleep, as well as your health during waking hours.
Nearly two-thirds of adults (opens in a new tab) sleep on their left or right side. Curling up into a ball and falling into a deep sleep is one of the surest ways to get the seven to nine hours of sleep that most adults need. But is sleeping on your side good for you? And what does it matter which side you prefer?
We reached out to Guy Meadows (PhD), a sleep physiologist and co-founder of the Sleep School (opens in a new tab), to learn the pros and cons of sleeping on your side, as well as the best situation for most people. the night.
What are the advantages of lying on your side?
Meet the expert
Dr. Guy Meadows is a sleep physiologist with a PhD from Imperial College London. He is also a co-founder of The School of Sleep, which has helped over twenty-five zero people recover from insomnia through natural means. For more than twenty years, Dr. Meadows has dedicated himself to assisting people with chronic insomnia and regularly attends, presents, and leads workshops.
Sleeping on your side has many health benefits, mainly related to the mouth and breathing.
If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, this is the best situation for you and your partner to sleep peacefully. "highly recommended for heavy snorers or people with sleep apnea as it is a kind of positional therapy, this helps to hold the tongue out of the throat, which means your airways are clear so you can breathe easier" , says Dr. Meadows.
For anyone who occasionally suffers from acid reflux, Dr. Meadows says it's best to sleep on the left side, research shows (opens in a new tab). If you sleep on your right side and suffer from acid reflux or heartburn, you can pour stomach acid into the lining of your esophagus, creating that uncomfortable burning sensation.
"It's better for digestion due to the fact that our stomach is on the left side," says Dr. Meadows, "Studies have shown that reflux is worse when we sleep on the left side. While digestion slows down when we sleep, this process continues overnight."
What happens the moment you lie on your side?
While lying on your side to sleep is great for snoring and acid reflux, it's not going to be as good for your back or spinal alignment.
Dr. Meadows explains that sleeping on your side “can put pressure on your lower back. As this pushes the spine out of neutral alignments, it increases the danger of aches and pains in the morning. This is especially the case if you hug your knees into your body because your spine is no longer long, as it would be throughout the day.
What if you find that this is the most comfortable situation, but your back starts to hurt? "Putting a pillow between your knees is usually a great way to reduce pressure on your lower back," says Dr. Meadows, as it will reduce stress on your spine and hips.
You'll also want to make sure you sleep on one of the best mattresses for side sleepers, which offers support for your spine and padding through your hips and shoulders to take pressure off.
Should you sleep on your side if you are pregnant?
Side sleeping is advised if you are pregnant; it will probably be more comfortable for you, especially when your baby begins to grow.
When you sleep on your side, you allow more blood to flow directly to the baby. Research from separate studies, including the XNUMX Sydney study (opens in a new tab), concluded that it was safer for women, especially in the third trimester, to sleep on their sides. According to research, women who sleep on their backs, especially during the third trimester, are at greater risk of stillbirth.
The best situation is on the side you choose, with your legs bent, but does it matter which side?
According to Dr. Meadows: "Research on pregnancy shows that sleeping on the left side increases blood flow from mother to baby, although, interestingly, in XNUMX a review was published (opens in a new tab) and they looked at each and every piece of data, and found no difference between the two sides. So it's really a matter of preference."
Why do some of us go to bed in a fetal situation?
Sleeping on the side, in the fetal position, as we did in the womb, is a popular position, especially for people with insomnia. Dr. Meadows states that he must see to security:
"People like to curl up in a ball, probably because there's that sense of security. Our ability to keep up with what's going on is essential to our survival."
"We know that there are many reasons why insomnia keeps people awake, and one is that they have learned to associate nighttime with risk. So clearly there is that kind of connection to being fetal in the womb. ".
What is the best sleeping situation?
Sleeping on your side can be bad for your lower back, but it can help people with acid reflux or even more serious conditions like sleep apnea. However, if you don't suffer from any of these issues, sleeping on your back is the healthiest situation for your overall health and spine.
Sleeping on your back, which some find uncomfortable, will keep your spine in alignment and give you a more restful sleep. Sleeping on your stomach would be the least healthy situation because over time it will create a natural curve in your back. For most of us, the greatest amount of weight is on the stomach.
However, Dr. Meadows says that comfort is still key. "Short of a compelling medical condition, I would choose to sleep in whatever situation is most comfortable for me."
Sleeping on the best mattress for your preferred sleeping style is vital, as this will ensure that you get the support and pressure relief you need in just the right places. Alternatively, you can get a mattress topper to make your current bed as comfortable as you need it to be.
Finding the best pillow for your dominant sleeping situation is also essential for a good night's sleep. You can perform this easy test to find out if you sleep on the wrong pillow.