Healthy sleep: why it is better to sleep on the left side

Sleep is healthy - but did you know that it also depends on which side you sleep on? Our practical tip tells you why you should sleep on the left side.

Restful sleep on the left

Sleep is important and helps regeneration. However, so that digestion can recover optimally, you should prefer to sleep on the left side. There are several reasons for this, which emerged from a study by the "Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology".

• During sleep, your digestion works to remove waste. Since your organs also want to recover, this is best done with as little effort as possible.
• On your left side of the body are both the stomach and the pancreas, which the digestive juices want to remove.
• If you sleep on the right side, the stomach presses against the pancreas and this has to work harder. On the other hand, as a left sleeper you promote the functions of the pancreas.
• The esophagus is on the right side of the body. If you sleep on this side, stomach acid can flow into the esophagus and cause heartburn. You prevent that as a left sleeper.
• The spleen can also be found on the left side of the body. Waste that is transported through the lymphatic system to the spleen can easily flow downwards due to the left position. If you are on the right side, however, the substances have to be transported upwards to your spleen.
• The lymphatic system also transports important nutrients through the body. These reach both the lymphatic vessels and the organs mentioned better when you sleep on the left side.
• Ultimately, left-handed sleepers also promote your heart: the aorta also leads down to the left into the stomach. If you are a right sleeper, the heart must pump the blood up to your left digestive organs.

Do you wake up at night with no apparent reason? In the next practical tip, you will read what organic causes this could have.