There is a right way and a wrong way to sleep. You need a night of quality sleep to feel well. It can improve your health, mood, longevity and digestion.
Mattresses are almost always on sale or that’s what it seems. It’s hard to pick one out in a store. It’s a little better if you try it for a week or more. After all, this is an important decision since you may spend 25% or more of you life on it. A firmer mattress is likely better to support your spine. Find a pillow that is comfortable and supports your neck and head.
Sleep hygiene tends to be holistic. It’s where we learn, consolidate memories, and recharge as well as cleaning up our brain’s waste.
Sleep is easier if we work with our circadian rhythm (our body clock which relies on sunlight). Expose yourself to sunlight soon after you get up (if the sun is up). Don’t take in caffeine at least 9 hours before bedtime. Stick to a sleep schedule by going to bed about the same time each night. Your sleeping area should be cool, have lower light levels before bed and avoid electronics or turn them to “night shift” which makes the screen less blue and more amber in color. This reduces brain stimulation. Some other habits might include a warm/hot shower, mild stretching, and meditation all which induce relaxation.
Now consider how you sleep, that is, on your back, side or stomach. Most of us spend hours of our sleeping on our sides with knees pulled up some. If you start on your back or stomach, you’ll roll over sometime during the night on a side position since our bodies seem to know what’s best.
Digestion:
The left side is best due to the placement of internal organs. Sleeping on the left-hand side of your body is a staple of Ayurvedic health. Mainly, because your stomach and pancreas (responsible for creating digestive enzymes) naturally slope down to the left side of your body.
Sleeping on the left side of your body allows for your stomach and pancreas to lie naturally, promoting a consistent flow of digestive enzymes to be released throughout the night. Whereas sleeping on your right side forces them into an unnatural position, causing digestive enzymes to be released prematurely. Also, sleeping on your left side alleviates pressure on your liver and gallbladder, helping reduce heartburn and indigestion.
Brain health:
While we sleep, our brains engage in cellular repair known as homeostasis which is incredibly important for optimizing our brain’s functionality. And, just like our digestive system, during homeostasis, we excrete waste to make room for new, healthy brain cells. This may help to alleviate the risk of dementia and improve brain function.
Reducing snoring & sleep apnea:
Sleeping on your back or stomach puts your jaw in unnatural positions, obstructing airflow. While side sleeping has been shown to promote optimal oxygen flow throughout the body.
According to numerous studies, sleep apnea has been shown to increase the likelihood of diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, and can shorten lifespan. So, although either side will do when it comes to proper overnight airflow, it’s best to stick to the left side for its other benefits. You’ll like find that you move from one side to the other as hours spent on one side tends to cause the shoulder or hip to ache some so a change in position will alleviate that.
Good night…