Lying on the left side is sad, lying on the right side hurts the liver? Which sleeping position is the healthiest? Different groups of people are very particular about

Jun 1, 2022

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It is said that 24 hours a day, one third of the time is devoted to "sleep". It can be seen that sleep is very important to the human body.

Then some people may wonder, which sleeping position is the best?

According to statistics, 60% of adults prefer to sleep on their backs, 30% of adults prefer to sleep on their sides , and less than 10% of them sleep in various "concave shapes".

I don’t know if you have heard of a saying, that is, “Lying on the left side hurts, lying on the right side hurts the liver, and lying on the back hurts the lungs.” Are the rumors true or false? With so many sleeping positions, which one is the healthiest?

1. Research finds that sleeping position can affect brain "detoxification"

The seemingly simple and casual sleeping position actually has a lot of impact on human health...

A study on sleep published in "Science" found that during sleep, the brain will automatically "cleanse" to remove metabolic toxins in the brain , so that the human body has a awake brain after waking up.

In a follow-up study of the brain, the researchers found that sleeping position also affects the rate of detoxification.

Dr. Nedergaard and the Stony Brook University research team conducted experiments in mice using dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods and kinetic models. It was found that lying on the side was the most beneficial for the drainage of waste from the brain's lymphatic system , which was related to changes in intracranial pressure and hemodynamics that could be affected by sleep position.

Detoxification of the brain through sleep can quickly remove toxic proteins and metabolites in the brain, which is of great significance for maintaining the function of the central nervous system of the brain.

2. Lying on the left side hurts the heart, lying on the right side hurts the liver, and lying on the back hurts the lungs? Here comes the answer

What are the effects of different sleeping positions on the body? Zhao Wei, deputy director of the Department of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at Tianjin University Teda Hospital, said that the best sleeping position varies from person to person, depending on comfort and the underlying disease.

1. Lie on the left side

Sleeping on your left side sad? The left lateral position may compress the heart, increasing the pressure on the heart. However, in healthy people, there is currently no evidence that lying on the left side increases the risk of heart disease .

Suitable crowd : Women in middle and late pregnancy and patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Lying on the right side of the former may cause the uterus to rotate to the right, compressing the ureter, leading to dilation of the ureter; the latter lying on the right side will reduce the elasticity of the esophageal sphincter and cause reflux heartburn, so the two are more suitable for sleeping on the left side.

2. Lying on the right side

Sleeping on the right side hurts the liver? Some people think that the right side may compress the vena cava, and then spread to the liver. However, there is no evidence that sleeping on the right side can harm the liver.

Suitable crowd : patients with chronic heart failure, people with stomach inflammation and low digestive function

In the left lateral position, the heart is in a relatively low-slung position, and the amount of blood returning to the heart increases, which may increase the load on the heart. Therefore, patients with chronic heart failure are more suitable for lying on the right side. In addition, the stomach is on the left side of the abdomen, and lying on the right side helps digestion and absorption.

3. Supine

Sleeping on your back hurts your lungs? Studies have shown that sleeping on your back will aggravate snoring and sleep apnea, and increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Suitable crowd : patients with cerebral thrombosis, people with bad joints, people with lumbar disc herniation

The supine position can ensure that the head, neck, and carotid arteries are not oppressed, relieve low back pain, and help delay the disease.

In addition, there is a fetal sleeping position. Although it is curled up, it is very safe, but the large-scale curling and bending will stretch the muscles. If there is inflammation in the spine or other joints, it will aggravate the pain . This bent posture also hinders normal breathing movements.

Which is the healthiest posture? It is recommended to exclude special diseases, the best sleeping position is to sleep on the right side , followed by sleeping on the back, and finally sleeping on the left side.

However, Xiaojiu does not recommend that you forcefully change your usual sleeping position because you think you sleep well on the right side, which will affect your sleep quality. You can choose the most comfortable sleeping position according to the specific situation, or gradually change the sleeping position.

3. If you are in good health, you can tell by looking at your sleeping position

In fact, for some special groups, different diseases have "requirements" for sleeping positions.

1. Hypertension

Hypertensive patients, especially elderly hypertensive patients, can use a pillow with a height of 15 cm and maintain a semi-recumbent or lateral position.

2. Varicose veins

Raise your feet slightly above your heart in a horizontal position.

3. Esophageal disease

Patients with reflux esophagitis should sleep on their backs with a pillow height of about 15 cm.

4. Lung disease

Lie on your back with a pillow high to keep your airway open.

5. Low back pain

It is suitable to sleep on your side, so that the muscles can be completely relaxed.

6. Cervical spondylosis

Lying on the side may aggravate vertebral artery spasm. It is recommended to lie on your back and sleep on a hard bed.

If you want to sleep well, you can actually use bedding—pillows. Using them is very helpful for reducing pressure on the cervical and lumbar spine.

Choose the right pillow first

It is best to choose a pillow that is 1.5 times wider than the shoulders, and the height is about a fist high . It is not recommended to use a pillow that is too hard to avoid too much pressure on the contact surface between the head and neck and the pillow.

Sleeping with pillow can protect lumbar spine

In a flat sleeping position, place a soft pillow under your knees to relax your knees, and elevate your calves to help promote blood flow. In the side-lying position, you can place a pillow between your legs to put your hips and knees in the most relaxed state.

The seemingly random sleeping position actually has an impact on human health. For different special groups, there are also "exclusive sleeping positions". However, for healthy people, it is recommended to use the right side lying position, and you can adjust your daily sleeping position according to your actual situation.

References:

[1] "Staying up late to become stupid" has finally been scientifically proven, your body is taking revenge on you like this". Medical Neurology Channel. 2019-11-04

[2] "Sleeping on the left side is sad? Sleeping on the right side hurts the liver? Which sleeping position is best? After reading it, you will know". Popular Science China. 2021-12-14

[3] "If you are in good health, you can tell by looking at the "sleeping posture"! 10 diseases have their own sleeping positions". Life Times. 2017-11-22

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