I shift sleeping positions a lot, but I always return to the fetal position on my right side. I’ve always attributed this to pain in my left shoulder from past injuries, but I’ve discovered other parts of my body want me to sleep in this position too!
- Heart: Your heart has the most room and freedom to pump naturally when sleeping on your right. When on the left, your right lung (the larger one) puts pressure on your heart.
- Stomach: Taking pressure off your stomach allows it to more easily get rid of food since pressure makes it work harder to disperse everything. The stomach takes about 3 hours less time to digest when sleeping on your right side!
- Lungs: Sleeping on the right prevents your lungs from secretion build up.
Sleeping on your back is fine because your organs are in a natural position. However, when we sleep on our stomachs, all the organs are under pressure – the spine is at an unnatural angle and it’s difficult for the lungs to get enough oxygen. Be careful of mouth breathing though. We’re meant to breathe through our noses, which is better equipped to filter and warm the air before it reaches our lungs.
I’m glad my preferred sleep position is on the right side, but am glad to be aware of the reasons why it’s important to sleep this way. Any change in sleeping habits can affect quality and quantity of sleep, so with a bit of practice we can make some beneficial and healthier changes (check out the photos below, looks like it’s the natural order of things!).
By Emily S.
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- Photo by tandemracer
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- Photo by sameold2008
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