Have trouble sleeping? Are you one of those people who finds themselves tossing and turning all night? Turns out, there are actually healthy ways to sleep!
Whether you prefer foetus, yearner, or a little combination of both -like me, always needing to have at least one foot hanging outside of my blanket and the other pushed against my chest- experts say the best way, is to sleep on your side.
Dr. John Douillard has turned to Ayurveda, an alternative form of medicine from India, to explain the benefits of sleeping on your left side. Sleeping this way will help you give your body the best rest it needs.
According to science studies and medicine, the left side is most suitable for finding a comfortable and healthy way to sleep. However, you need to be careful! Forcefully changing your sleep patterns and habits all too quickly can make things worse for your body.
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Below we have compiled a list of benefits and positive changes that your body will experience by sleeping on your left side. Hopefully now you will be able to get that full night sleep you have been dreaming of.
SEE ALSO: How To Fall Asleep In 5 Minutes – Seriously This Works
1. Spine and Breathing
Laying on your side is the least harmful position on your spine and is best for providing optimal air flow to your lungs. Sleeping on your back puts too much pressure on the upper back and hips, and also often leaves your back in a suspended state. Similarly, sleeping on your stomach is also not healthy as it strains both your lower back and neck.
2. Digestion
With the way your intestines travel across the stomach, sleeping on your side will assist in processing food and water faster. By sleeping on your left specifically, food will be able to travel more swiftly from your small intestine to your large, and then to your descending colon.
10-minutes worth of rest lying on your left side after eating is also recommended to help your meal digest easier, which in turn helps to tackle those pesky food comas.
3. Lymph Draining
Majority of the lymphatic system is on the left side of your body, and when lymphatic congestion occurs, it frequents the left side. When you sleep on your left side, you are allowing gravity to work it’s magic by moving the pressure of lymph drainage away from your heart and spleen, both of which are located on the left side of your body.
