The posture adopted for sleeping could have an impact on health, especially for people with heart failure or sleep apnea, according to a search for the American Heart Association.
- Certain medical conditions can make a sleep posture more beneficial than another. People with heart failure, for example, often have difficulty breathing on the left side, then favoring the right side.
- Sleeping on the left side promotes blood circulation and helps pregnant women, while the dorsal position often aggravates sleep apnea. Simple devices or adjustments, such as a new pillow, can improve comfort and reduce risks.
- It remains essential to prioritize quality sleep, from 7 to 9 hours per night, and to adopt the most comfortable posture for you.
If the quality and duration of sleep, crucial for health, has long attracted the attention of researchers, the importance of the posture adopted during the night remains less studied. However, it could sometimes play a key role in health, as revealed by a study by experts in the sleep of the American Heart Association and published in the journal Stroke.
Medical conditions and sleep positions
“People naturally gravitate to the position that seems just to them”explain the researchers in a press release. This trend can however change over time, influenced by factors such as mattresses, the layout of the room, or even chronic pain. Icules and physiological changes can also redefine our night habits.
Certain medical conditions can make a posture more beneficial than another. People with heart failure, for example, often have difficulty breathing on the left side, then favoring the right side. On the other hand, patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) could rather benefit from sleep on the left side, this position facilitating blood circulation and reducing acid rise. In pregnant women, this posture also improves blood flow to the fetus.
Other research explore the links between sleep position and detoxification of the brain, but they have so far led to “No final conclusion”temper the specialists.
A link with sleep apnea
One of the best understood areas concerns obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where breathing is releasing in a recurring way. Researchers explain that this pathology generally worsens in a dorsal position. In addition to respiratory disorders, apnea increases carbon dioxide levels in the blood, disturbs deep sleep and can cause high cardiovascular risks such as hypertension or arrhythmia.
Solutions exist to help affected people, such as electronic devices that encourage them to sleep on the side or special clothing containing rigid objects in the lumbar to avoid back turning. “Sleeping on the side is often beneficial for these patients”note the experts.
If you often wake up tired or feel discomfort while sleeping, changing positions could improve your sleep. Sometimes simple adjustments, such as a new pillow or a cushion between the knees, are enough to relieve pain and promote better posture. Finally, the quality and duration of sleep remain essential: sleeping 7 to 9 hours per night is ideal for adults.
