The way you sleep can have an impact on your overall health. Sleeping face-up with a pillow under your back may help with back pain, but may worsen sleep apnea. If you have a heart condition, you may want to avoid sleeping on your left side.
Is it dangerous for your heart to sleep on your left side?
Accordingly to healthline, Sleeping positions haven’t been studied extensively in relation to heart health. Sleeping on your left side, on the other hand, may put more pressure on your heart.
Using an electrocardiogram, researchers initially discovered that side sleeping alters the electrical activity of the heart (ECG). When the subjects were lying on their left side, the effects were more obvious, according to the researchers.
Sleeping on the left side was linked to alterations in ECG readings in healthy adults as well, according to a 2018 study. It was discovered that left-side sleeping caused the heart to move and turn through the use of a vectorcardiography technology. The heartbeat was thought to be the cause of the fluctuations in electrical activity.
There was essentially no difference in ECG activity when participants slept on their right side. The mediastinum, a thin layer of tissue between the lungs, was found to hold the heart in place in this posture.
Because of the potential for altering your heart’s electrical activity when resting on your left side, there is no evidence to suggest that doing so raises your risk of previously existing heart disease.
According to reports, lying on one’s left side might cause discomfort and breathing problems for those with congestive heart failure. More research is needed to determine whether or how risky it is to sleep on one’s left side if one has a heart issue.
It’s also possible to sleep on your right side.
The question of whether it is healthier for your heart to sleep on your left or right side is still up for debate. The vena cava may be compressed if you sleep on your right side, according to some sleep experts. This is the vein that leads to your heart’s right side, which is where it originates.
Sleeping on your right side does not appear to raise your risk of having heart failure at this time.
According to a report from last year,
Most people with a condition known as successive dilated cardiomyopathy preferred to sleep on their right side, according to a study by Trusted Source.
Sleeping on one’s left or right side during pregnancy has no effect on one’s health, according to a review of studies published in 2019. Try to sleep on your side as often as possible in the early stages of your pregnancy. As your pregnancy advances, lying on your side with your knees bent is likely to be the most comfortable position.
Pregnant women may benefit from sleeping on their left side, according to some medical professionals. To keep the uterus away from your liver, it’s a good idea to lie on your left side, which will also keep the fetus’ weight from putting strain on your heart’s major vein (the inferior vena cava) that returns blood from your feet and legs to the heart to increase fetus blood flow.
Positions to avoid putting your heart at risk as you sleep.
If you don’t already have a heart disease, the ideal sleeping position for your heart health is unknown at this time. Getting a good night’s sleep is most likely more vital than where you choose to rest your head.