Benefits Of Sleeping On The Left Side Of The Body
According to some studies, the position in which we sleep is crucial in our lives. Some of these postures help improve our health.
Depending on how we accommodate the body, we may or may not intensify rest, facilitate the normal development of our functions and our organs, and feel fully relaxed.
Up, down, to the right or to the left?
The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology recently published an article where Dr. John Doulliard, thanks to several studies, mentions that when we sleep on the left side of the body, we promote lymphatic drainage from our body. The lymph carries the elements that must be filtered by the lymph nodes, and it is on the left side where the body finally processes them.
Similarly, sleeping on the left side of the body favors the proper functioning of our digestive system. This affects that we have a better production of gastric juices and that the secretion of pancreatic enzymes occurs without so much effort. In general terms, the digestive system has a calmer process and its development occurs in a favorable time, but less quickly, than when sleeping in other positions.
Other benefits to the body that occur when sleeping on the left side are directly related to the proper functioning of the heart. This vital muscle is found in this area of the body; in fact, it occupies more than 80% of the upper left part of our body.
The aorta leaves the heart and finally leads to the abdomen, taking an arched shape that is predominant towards the left side; that is why its normal transit is from that side. Now, while all this is happening, our heart continues to pump blood, but it does it in a simpler way, because when we sleep on the left side we are located in its territory.
On the other hand, we must take into account that the spleen is also located on the left side of our body. This organ has a very important role for the digestive, lymphatic and immune systems. Therefore, when a person gets used to sleeping in this position, he is helping the body to send its natural fluids to the spleen and it to carry out its work in an adequate way.
Getting used to sleeping on the left side
We are generally not aware of the postures we adopt at bedtime. It also happens that throughout the night we change position and wake up located in a completely different way than we had when we went to bed.
What we do notice, on many occasions, is that we wake up with muscle aches or feeling heavy and slow. Perhaps if we paid more attention to the sleeping position, we would notice great benefits for our day to day.
It is also very important to become aware of the position that the body takes during naps. These short periods of sleep generally take place after eating at noon. Therefore, poor posture can lead to digestive difficulties of various kinds.
You don’t need to take a whole nap, let alone a night, on the left side. It is simply enough that it is the predominant position. Perhaps intuitively you know it and seek to rest on that side. But if not, it is simply a matter of changing a habit. The conviction that this position can help you improve your health is the best incentive to try to adopt this healthy habit.
Your body will appreciate that you help it to work in the right way. And remember that being healthy will always make you feel a little happier.
Image courtesy of Krudo
