Why Left Side Sleepers Have Better Food Digestion

I am not someone who truly pays attention what side I’m sleeping on or what’s my favorite sleeping position. I guess for me it’s far more important to have a comfy bed, clean bedding and a huggable pillow.

I was roaming the internet reading some recipes and next thing you know I’m checking nutrition value, and next thing I read is an article about digestion issues and what food causes problems, especially if you snack before bed.

Never in my life have I thought that sleeping on your left side has so many benefits. I know sleeping on your back is the best because you don’t wake up puffy and with bags under your eyes, but this was good info for me. I gave a little thought and I think that most of the time I fall asleep on my side (both sides I guess, depending whether my phone is charged so I can unplug it and turn to the other side).

Here is the thing about side sleepers:

• When we lie on the side, we don’t have our spine supported and although this position feels good and cozy, it’s actually a bit risky to sleep this way.
• The hips tend to move back and forth (especially if you’re like me and tend to re-adjust your legs) which twists the spine and puts pressure on it.
• Also, the shoulders and the neck should be supported; in other words your mattress should be really good. While I was looking for an additional mattress information, I realized I picked myself a good model).

What happens to your digestive system when you sleep on your side?

If you’re a side sleeper and the left side is your favorite, then good for you because when you are lying on this side, the food waste has no problem to move from your big intestine to the colon. In simpler words, you are helping your metabolism go faster. This is an excellent position if you’re trying to lose weight or go to the bathroom without problems (most likely in the morning).

Sleeping on the left side doesn’t put pressure to your pancreas and your stomach (imagine what a big pressure you add to your stomach when you turn to the right side).

This position is great because our left side is the dominant lymphatic side; this means that you are helping your body drain the lymphatic liquids to the thoracic duct (it’s on the left side of course). What surprised me was the fact that sleeping on your left side was recommended even from Ancient Eastern doctors.

Here I read that sleeping on your left side is a good way to prevent heartburn. It reduces the symptoms of acid flux. It happens because we have our stomach on the left side; sleeping on the right side may cause the heartburn symptoms (those of you who know how a heartburn it feels, will agree with me that it’s annoying and not pleasant at all). So lying on the left side even for about ten minutes after a meal will help you get rid of it.

I read interesting things about this position and turned out that it’s great even for pregnant women. If you’re pregnant naturally you’ll sleep on your side, but it’s far more favorable to sleep on your left side as well. Besides it reduces the back pressure and stops your uterus from pressuring the liver, this position is also great for improved blood flow to your baby but also organs such as kidneys and your uterus as well.

Which side do you sleep on? Do you find that it reduces symptoms of acid reflux?