Do you like sleeping on your right side? Then you’d better change that quickly. Doctor and health expert John Douillard explains why the left side is in many ways the better place to sleep.
Sleeping on the left supports the lymphatic system
The left side of the body is the dominant lymphatic side: 75 percent of the body’s lymphatic fluid, which contains proteins, glucose, other metabolites and waste products, drains on this side.
The fluid is cleaned on the way to the thoracic duct (thoracic duct), which collects lymph from the lower part of the body.
Sleeping on your left not only promotes the transport of important nutrients, but also waste products.
The spleen, which is responsible for purifying the blood, is also located on the left side and can work more easily if you sleep on the left side.
Sleeping on your left side relieves the strain on your heart
In right-side sleepers, the heart also has to work much harder. This is because the aorta, the largest artery in the body, leaves the top of the heart and curves to the left before descending into the abdomen.
By sleeping on your left side, the heart pumps blood directly downhill into the descending aorta, which automatically relieves pressure on the organ.
Left sleepers are less likely to have digestive problems
The position of the stomach and pancreas also suggests sleeping on the left side.
According to Douillard, doing this helps direct the digestive juices in the right direction and makes it easier for the pancreas to secrete enzymes that are important for the body.
The movement of waste products from the small to the large intestine is also made easier when sleeping on your left side.
All of this ensures improved digestion overall. If you lie on your right, your stomach will press against your pancreas, which complicates transport.
Relieve heartburn by sleeping on your left side
The esophagus is located to the right of the stomach. If you sleep on the left side of your body, you can also prevent heartburn: acidic food does not flow back into the esophagus.
Although there are of course many other factors that influence healthy sleep overall, just the prospect of no longer having heartburn would probably be a good reason for most people to turn from right to left in the future.