According to AYURVEDA one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems, WE SHOULD BE SLEEPING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF OUR BODY.
The left side of the body is completely different from the right. In Ayurveda, it is believed that the left side is for rest and by sleeping on the left side we are encouraging numerous health benefits. They include:
Encourage Lymphatic Drainage
The left side of the body is the dominant side of the lymphatic system. Most of the body's lymph fluids drain in the Thoracic which is located on the left side of the body may be down to drainage. Any ailments located on the left side of the body may be down to drainage problems. Problems on the right side of the body are thought to be down to imbalances in the Liver & blood; the liver is located on the right side of the body.
Improve Elimination
The large intestine travels along the right side of your stomach where it deposits waste into your colon, which is on the left side. So if you sleep on the left side, you work with gravity to encourage good waste to move more easily along the small intestine and then into the large intestine. If you continue to sleep on the left all night, the waste moves easily into the colon hence the colon is then full of waste ready to eliminate in the morning.
Support the Spleen
The Spleen is a part of the lymphatic system and it filters not only lymph but also blood. If you lay on your left, you help improve drainage. By sleeping on the left, with a little help from gravity, you help the body filter toxins more effectively.
Boost Digestion
Lie on your left side after a meal for around 10 minutes to allow the stomach and pancreas to hang on the left side. The food is encouraged to move through the stomach thus the enzymes are released as of when needed and not all at once.
TIPS FOR SIDE SLEEPER FOR GOOD NIGHT SLEEP
Below you’ll find our top six tips for side sleepers:
- Find a mattress that supports your body. For side sleepers, look for a medium-firm memory foam mattress.
- Be gentle on the shoulder and hip that you sleep on. Avoid anything that applies too much pressure to these parts.
- Go with a firmer pillow that will keep your head off the mattress. More specifically, you want your head to be right in between your two shoulders.
- Use a thin pillow between your knees when sleeping to prevent soreness in your hips or to keep your knees from banging into each other.
- And while, we’re on the subject of pillows - when it comes to side sleepers, the more pillows the better. Experiment with hugging pillows or placing a pillow behind your back until you find your most comfortable combination.
- If you’re pregnant, snore, or suffer from sleep apnea, a good rule of thumb is to sleep on your left side.