Sleep is a big thing in our house, we love it but just don't get enough of it. To be honest, we grab those elusive 40 winks at any opportunity but which side of the body is best for sleeping? My friend is a nurse and she has to deal with lots of different patient complaints but some are in relation to how they sleep? (Who knew!) They complain about pain in the back left hip, left foot or the occasional abdominal pains for the sideway sleeper on bed. Of course, sleeping on the left side of the bed is medically approved, and it’s completely different from the right side. 

The Lymph Drains Towards The Left Side

Interestingly, a significant amount of the body’s lymphatic fluid drains to the thoracic duct, found on the left side. Along the way, it carries proteins, metabolites, and glucose. So, by sleeping on the right side, you hinder this process leading to chronic lymphatic complications.

Hinders Elimination of Waste

Here, the small intestines dump waste through the ICV or ileocecal valve, located on the right side of your body. This is just near the start of the large intestines. So, food travels up and across the right side of your tummy where it dumps the waste products into the left side of your colon. With the help of gravity, the left side of your body can move food wastes from the small to the large intestines quickly.

It is amazing to see that by sleeping on the right side, you put your body through an unbearable digestion process. Eventually, this leads to indigestion and other stomach complications. Therefore, if you find yourself with un-ending tummy problems, it might not be something you ate but shockingly, how you sleep! wow!

Reduces The Efficiency of a Functioning Heart

We all know that the heart is located on the left side. By sleeping on this side of the body, you further aid the body in lymphatic drainage to your heart through gravity. Remember that it’s always good to take some of the tedious work off your heart as you enjoy your night’s rest.

If you prefer sleeping on the right side, you’re not doing your heart any favors. Here, you’re just giving it extra work throughout the night, and chances are that you might not even enjoy your sleep. Many of my patients complain about heart problems, but after running some tests, the results show no problem. If you’re going through a similar situation, consider changing your sleeping posture!

It Gives Your Spleen Too Much Work!

We sometimes all need a little reminder that the spleen plays an essential role in your lymphatic system. It’s like a gigantic lymph node. However, other than just filtering lymph, it also removes ‘dirt’ from the blood. By sleeping on the left side and through the help of gravity, you assist the spleen in handling these processes quickly. However, if you love sleeping on the right side, you give the spleen extra work which is not healthy at all!

Do You Feel Sleepy After Taking a Heavy Meal?

Sleeping on the right side after a heavy dinner is quite unhealthy. It further causes indigestion and discomfort throughout the night. Keep in mind that the gallbladder and liver hang on the right side. By resting them on the left side, you allow them to secrete precious bile and to swing freely. And with the help of gravity, they can quickly emulsify fats and neutralize the stomach acids, giving you peaceful rest during the night.

Over the years we have talked a lot about sleeping but who knew how important it was to sleep on the left side, especially if you’re suffering from ‘weird’ health complications. Besides, if you’re having trouble sleeping, sleeping on the right side could be the problem. Either way, you should change your sleeping posture sooner rather than later!

Happy snoozing! 

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