Did you know that the position you sleep in affects your health? Do you know the best sleeping position to improve heart and brain diseases, relieve symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux and gastritis? In addition to relieving pain in the neck, back and spine depending on how you sleep, you can drastically improve and combat chronic ailments.
There are positions that improve circulation, lymphatic drainage, relieve pressure on your heart, your lungs, the airway and much more as I am going to reveal to you today. Hello everyone. I am Dr Veller and what I bring you today can have surprising positive effects on your quality of life.
I'm going to show you six shocking effects of sleeping on the left side and also common diseases that get worse or better depending on the position in which you sleep. We will see which is better depending on the health problem you have. Very important.
We will spend at least a third of our lives sleeping and all of us worry a lot about how to take care of our health while we are awake. The food we consume, how much water we drink, how much exercise we do, but we forget that a good sleep guarantees the proper functioning of our body. And with the position in which we do it, we can help our body delay or even reverse some chronic diseases.
And this is partly explained by our anatomy. Some positions modify or better distribute the pressure that our own body and gravity exert on internal structures or modify the position of our fluids in the stomach and intestine, for example, which can greatly improve those symptoms of heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux. that we have when we sleep or when we wake up.
I'll tell you more details. And look, one of the biggest discoveries in recent years is that good quality sleep is as important for our health as eating well or exercising. And I tell you more, there are studies that show that those who sleep better have a lower risk of cancer, twice the risk of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and dementia, and a lower risk of premature death, mainly from heart attacks at an early age.
They also control blood sugar better and reduce abdominal fat much more effectively. In addition, this also helps combat high cholesterol and triglycerides and better controls chronic pain in patients with fibromyalgia and with fewer remedies. And we will talk about all the sleeping positions.
But first, what are the six benefits of sleeping on the left side? Number one improves symptoms of acid reflux and gastritis. In other words, it is ideal for people with these digestive problems.
Look here. The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle found at the junction between the stomach and esophagus. When sleeping on the left side, the position of the stomach is such that the fluids inside it put less pressure on this muscle, preventing it from opening and the acidic contents of the stomach from flowing back into the esophagus or into your throat during the night.
Additionally, sleeping on the left side facilitates gastric emptying. This means that food and gastric juices can move more easily from the stomach to your small intestine, facilitating digestion and, in turn, this reduces the possibility of suffering from gastroesophageal reflux. And if that weren't enough, some research also showed that sleeping in this position reduces both the frequency and severity of heartburn .
So, in addition to promoting more efficient gastric intestinal movements, it makes you suffer less from these symptoms. Especially that feeling of acidity that wakes you up at night or a burning sensation in your throat or even the acidity that you feel when you wake up. Second benefit sleeping on the left side improves circulation and reduces high blood pressure when sleeping.
This puts the heart in a different position, which improves blood pumping. In turn, this improves blood flow and reduces the workload on your heart. But also, the inferior vena cava, which is the main vein that collects blood from the lower part of your body and returns it to your heart, is located on the right side.
And sleeping on the left side reduces pressure on this vein, which facilitates this return of blood to your heart and improves circulation. All this translates into lower blood pressure. For this same reason, it is also recommended that pregnant women sleep on their left side.
So, if you have high blood pressure and it is difficult for you to control it, you do not always have to increase the remedies or add new ones. You can try changing the position in which you sleep, but of course, always talk to your doctor. Benefit number three stimulates lymphatic drainage.
The lymphatic system plays a very important role in eliminating waste and toxins from our body. And sleeping on the left side allows lymphatic fluids to flow more easily to the thoracic duct, which is the largest lymphatic vessel and the main lymphatic drainage route in our body, as it collects lymph from our legs, pelvis, abdomen. , the left half of the thorax, the arm and the head.
In simple words, sleeping on the left side favors the flow of lymph towards this duct, allowing a freer flow and relieving and reducing congestion and fluid retention in those parts of the body. So, if you are one of those people who retains a lot of fluid in your legs or wakes up with a very swollen face, try sleeping on your left side. Benefit number four.
And this is surprising. Helps remove toxins from the brain compared to sleeping on your back or stomach. Doing it on the left side helps our body eliminate what is called interstitial waste from the brain.
In Spanish, this is like a brain cleanse and can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, among other neurological diseases. A healthy lymphatic system is crucial for removing toxins and waste from the body and improving the drainage of our lymph. The position we sleep in can greatly help this happen, which in turn will impact the health of all your other internal organs.
Now, what about people who have heart problems? Is there any position that helps the heart? Well, sleeping on the left side can offer several benefits to those with heart problems, especially because of how it affects the anatomy of the heart and blood circulation.
This position, in addition to relieving pressure on the inferior vena cava and improving blood flow, also places the heart in a better position, reducing the effort necessary to pump blood to the rest of the body. And as I mentioned before, sleeping on the left side promotes drainage of the lymphatic system, which helps reduce congestion in almost the entire body, mainly in the chest, which relieves pressure on your heart and lungs. Many people breathe better sleeping on their left side.
Now, it is important to clarify that although this sleeping position can help many people with heart problems, each case is unique. There are people who suffer from heart failure, especially those with more advanced problems, and need many pillows to sleep or have to do so in a semi-sitting position. In these particular cases of advanced heart failure, sleeping on the right side may be better for some people, but that is why it is very important that you discuss your case individually with your trusted doctor.
Benefit number six sleeping on either the right or left side can relieve the pressure placed on the airways, relieving obstruction. This is especially helpful for people who snore. In these positions, the pressure exerted on the trachea and throat is greatly reduced compared to sleeping on your back.
In addition to being very useful for those who snore, it is also useful for those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea due to relaxation of the throat tissues. By making breathing easier, a smoother airflow is allowed and this reduces tissue vibration that leads to snoring. Now, what about the other positions?
There are some pros and cons of sleeping on your back or stomach. Let's first look at the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping on your back, that is, face up. Many people find this position very comfortable, but for those who have chronic pain problems in the cervical or lumbar region, may not be the best idea.
The ideal thing for these cases is also to sleep on your side with an appropriate pillow and also placing another pillow between your knees to produce better alignment of our spine. Very important to relieve that neck and lower back pain when we get up. But sleeping on your back can be very advantageous for those who suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, or pain in the shoulders and knees, but are otherwise healthy.
What happens is that this position better redistributes the weight of our body. But if you sleep this way, I recommend that you put a pillow under your knees to leave your lumbar spine in a more neutral position, provide better stability and prevent that pain that can occur when you get up. Now, what are the effects of sleeping on your stomach on your stomach?
In general, this is not recommended for those who have spinal problems or digestive problems. Furthermore, for those who worry about the effects of aging or having many wrinkles on their face, this is not the best position, because the marks that we have on our face when we get up do become chronic and prolonged repetitively over time, leaving wrinkles. , deeper marks and creates that premature aging effect on the skin.
But it is very important to note that the best sleeping position depends a lot on personal preference and comfort. Additionally, choosing the right pillow and specific sleeping position can affect each of us differently . If your physical therapist told you to sleep on your back and place a pillow or some support under your lumbar spine or on your knees, this may be the best position for you.
The above are only general recommendations that can help you, but it is very important that you try which is the best position for you. I hope you liked the video. Subscribe to our channel and leave me your comment.
What position worked best for you and what health problem do you have? Like and share this material. This helps us a lot to continue growing.
Bye Bye.
