A restful sleep is important for our health. Not only the duration and quality of sleep play a role, but also whether you sleep on the left or right side. We explain which side is better if you want to sleep soundly.
The majority of people are side sleepers. What most people don’t know: It plays a decisive role on which side you sleep. But which is better – left or right?
Sleep well: which side is better?
Even though many people turn onto their right side at night, experts recommend sleeping on the left side . There are various physical causes for not lying on the right side of the body at night, as studies have shown. Because the stomach and pancreas are on the left side of the body, when you sleep on the right side, the stomach presses on the pancreas and hinders its activity. Sleeping on the left side, on the other hand, promotes digestion . Since 75 percent of the body’s lymphatic fluid drains through the left side of the body, sleeping on this side also supports the activity of the lymphatic system . This in turn is important for usImmune system , the body’s defenses.
Another disadvantage for right-side sleepers: the heart is put under more strain because the main artery curves from the heart to the left and runs to the stomach – the heart has to pump the blood upwards, so to speak. Lying on the left side relieves the organ. What is particularly important for people who often suffer from heartburn : sleeping on the left can prevent it. Because the esophagus is to the right of the stomach, sleeping on the left side prevents stomach acid from flowing back into the esophagus.
