Which side is best for sleeping: right vs left?

Sleep! We all do it.

Let’s be honest - have you ever given thought to how we fall asleep? As soon as you get into bed, you stretch, use screens more than required, roll to one side, and hope that sleep finds you quickly. But what if we say, the side you sleep on could affect everything from digestion to your brain health? 

Yes! That's true, your go-to-sleep position works a lot behind the scenes, apart from just keeping you comfortable. From snoring aloud, heartburn, to spinal alignment, Ayurveda has connected the dots between your sleep and overall well-being. One of the three pillars of good health,  Ayurveda describes sleep as nidra, an essential for all living beings. This is followed by food (ahara) and control over sexual energy (brahmacharya). The right combination and balance between these three fulfil the requirement for healthy living. 

It may sound dramatic, or many of you might even ignore it, but the sleeping position highly impacts the quality of life. This blog will talk about what your body language is doing behind your back, comparing the left vs right, sideways vs straight. Read on and discover the need for sound sleep and what does your body demands as best position to sleep left or right.

Understand your sleep

A good quality sleep rejuvenates the mind and soul, positively affecting the overall body functioning. It is also regarded as a powerful tool to overcome certain diseases, imbalances, and regain energy (ojas) for higher efficiency throughout the day.

This energy, a byproduct of digestion and sound sleep, isolates the mind from stress and anxiety. According to Ayurveda, sleep is the breakdown of the connection between the mind from tiredness and several senses for the body’s relaxation. A poor sleep quality is the onset of several health consequences, including obesity, high blood pressure, and certain infections in the body. Every person is aware of the role of good quality food and a healthy lifestyle, but the importance of sleep is recognized and known to few.

Why is sleeping left considered right?

Apart from comfort, sleeping on your left side brings various advantages. These are:

• Improves Digestion

Sleeping on your left encourages the waste to flow from the small to the large intestine. This is also due to the presence of gravity, which helps with the left side of the sleep, in eliminating waste from the body.

• Support Heart Functions

If you think sleeping on left side bad for heart then that’s wrong. You may be surprised to learn that sleep impacts your heart health. As your heart is on the left side, it pumps blood to all the parts of the body. Sleeping on the left side regulates the circulation of blood and lowers the pressure on the heart. It is highly beneficial for pregnant women.

• Reduce Snoring

Another benefit of left-sided sleep is that it reduces snoring slowly. The reason behind this phenomenon is simple, yet unknown to many. Sleeping on your left side maintains your throat and tongue in a neutral position, hence, clearing the airways and promoting smooth breathing. So, if you snore and disturb your surroundings, and search how to stop snoring naturally tonight, try left side sleep today itself and note the changes.

Other Hidden Benefits

With several amazing benefits of sleeping left, here are some of the other add-ons. Other hidden benefits of sleeping on your left side are:

• Relieving back pain & neck stiffness 

If you sleep wrong, you may experience back or neck pain. The best position for back pain is sideways (better on your right). Majority of people who sleep frequently on their stomachs complain about back pain as the pressure on the spine significantly increases. However, if you sleep on sideways and change the position, the pressure on your spine decreases, promoting back pain relief. A similar position can be considered the best sleeping position for neck pain.

• Purifying toxins

When you sleep right, your body’s purification process gets active, which helps to strain out the toxins from the body. As the liver is located on the right side, its functions reach their highest efficiency in detoxifying. 

• Improve kidney & liver function

As stated above, sleeping right enhances the liver function and improves kidney’s efficiency. It regulates the process of detoxification more efficiently than sleeping on any side. 

• Prevent acidity & heartburn

While acidity and heartburn are commonly experienced by people at these times, right-sided sleeping can worsen the condition. If you don’t want to trouble your sleep and experience these disturbing symptoms, consider sleeping on your left. This is so because the stomach lies on the left side of the body, preventing acid reflux.

• Impact brain functioning 

Left side sleeping not only impacts your digestion and acidity, it also has fascinating impact on brain functioning. The best sleeping position for blood circulation is left. It promotes the calmness, deep sleep, low stress and relaxation for the brain to function the next day. Moreover, in order to prevent blood clots, the best sleeping position is also considered left side as it promotes better blood circulation.

• Sleep in Pregnancy

Well, left sleep in pregnancy is considered best as it comes with amazing benefits. The foremost advantage is, sleeping left improves the blood circulation towards the body. In addition to the baby, the pregnant women also receives tremendous benefits as the pressure on liver decreases, kidney functions enhances and improves back pain and digestion. Therefore, the position for sleeping in pregnancy that is highly recommended is on your LEFT.

Sleeping Right! Not Bad, but not the Best

While sleeping left is always beneficial, sleeping on your right might come with a mixture of advantages and drawbacks. While it is sometimes helpful for people with cardiovascular diseases, as it lowers the heart rate and blood pressure, it could be extremely hard for the person suffering from acid reflux.

The episodes of heartburn may take place frequently and last longer. The digestive system slows down, resulting in such instances. If you sleep on the right side, you may notice decreased nervous system activities. It is also seen benefiting anxiety patients, potentially promoting relaxation. 

Several studies have shown that people tend to favor sleeping on the right side as they age, possibly due to an unconscious mechanism that protects the heart. Sleeping on the right side isn't a disaster, but it may not be ideal if you deal with sleep apnea, as the symptoms can be worsened. 

But, for many, or even it may be you, who feels good and sleeps peacefully on the right side. If this is so, then no need to panic after reading this. You don't have to force yourself into a new position overnight. Make gradual shifts and adopt this habit slowly.

What about sleeping on your Back or Stomach?

• Sleeping on your Back

A great thought, as many of you prefer sleeping on your back, also known as the supine sleeping position. This position has both pros and cons depending on the body and its needs.

Also, if not supported, your back pain might increase as you wake up in the morning. Sleeping on your back is not considered an ideal position as studies show that people slowly develop the habit of side sleeping as they enter adulthood. On the other hand, infants are seen to take all the positions comfortably while sleeping, i.e., side (left or right), straight, or back.

A pro tip: If you are a back sleeper and cannot adapt to other positions to sleep, consider keeping a pillow under your knees for a happy spine.

• Sleeping on your Stomach

Is sleeping on your stomach bad? 

A short answer would be “Yes”.

This position is commonly adopted by people, apart from knowing the consequences they face. With this position, many of you might face certain issues, but would be unaware of the real culprit. Here, the cons are more than its advantages. These are:

Pros:

If you snore and try numerous ways of how to stop snoring naturally, here’s is the answer. Sleeping on stomach will reduce snoring and may diminish sleep apnea.

Cons:

1. Twist or kink your neck.

2. Stress on the spine causes strain on the full body structure.

3. Can numb your arms or legs.

4. Cause wrinkles and deep lines with pillow pressure

5. Not suitable for moms-to-be (pregnancy)

If you ask an expert about sleeping on your stomach, the answer will always be a complete NO. Still, if you have been sleeping for the whole of your life and cannot switch to another position, try using a thin or no pillow. Also, try stretching and warming up for a few minutes as soon as you wake up in the morning to align, strengthen, and support the muscles and spine.

How does the wrong sleep position affect your body?

Sleeping wrong might affect your body in several ways that you may also never know. Some of you have noticed that even after getting the sleep for a complete 8 hours, you feel tired. This is due to a lack of quality rest as you are in the wrong position, where your organs get compressed, or breathing is disrupted. A bad sleeping position wrongly impacts the body as it causes:

• Insomnia

• Disturb sleep by frequent waking

• Neck and back pain 

• Digestive issues

• Headaches

• Daytime fatigue

What else disturbs your sleep?

Now, you might think that sleep is just a matter of sides, but no, it is not. You might sleep correctly, but still feel like trash in the morning? Apart from sides, here is what else messes you up:

• Late-night screens 

• Caffeine 

• Alcohol before bed

• Overthinking and anxiety

• Hot or noise rooms 

• Inconsistent sleep schedule 

These were some of the non-position-related sleep thieves that disturb your well-being. Correcting your sleep or sleeping peacefully requires your involvement in multiple areas. Position is just one but a powerful piece of the sleep puzzle.

Tips for sound sleep by the correct position

After reading the above text, if you are tense about your sleeping position, then let us assure you of relaxation. It has been noted that a human change their sleep position about 10-40 times a day. Your body is adapted to change position to move around, shift pressure, and maintain a normal flow. So, tomorrow morning, if you wake up on your right after starting from left, then do not panic. 

Here are some of the tips required for sound sleep:

• For sleep, start on the left side when you lie on the bed.

• Use a thin and soft pillow below your neck and one between your knees. 

• Maintain ideal room temperature, i.e., around 18 degrees Celsius.

• Avoid screens at least 60 minutes prior going to bed.

• Avoid late-night caffeine or cut it after lunch.

• Use calming rituals like herbal tea or meditation.

Final Thoughts 

Definitely, there is a “correct or ideal” position for sleep, but it all depends on your body. You need to completely assess, monitor, and then choose the best side of your body to get optimum relaxation during sleep. So, which side is better to sleep at night is a question your body will answer about. The left side tends to win the sleep position due to several benefits, but if you are comfortable with the right, then go on. Do not panic or stress; the goal is restful, quality sleep, not perfect posture. So, when you sleep tonight, remember your comfort as your body is conscious even if you sleep. All you have to do is listen to the side it wants to sleep on. For more information, contact Dr. Sharda Ayurveda today. 

Sweet dreams, and may the left side be with you.