which side should i sleep on while pregnant

Pregnant women in particular should consider sleeping on their left side because the baby is pushing their organs upward, says Winter. If you sleep on your right side, the pressure of your body smashes up against the blood vessels that return to your ticker, but “sleeping on your left side with your right side not squished is supposed to potentially increase blood flow back to your heart.” And anything you can do to help your most important organ pump more efficiently is good for your health, he says. When your heart pumps blood out to your body, it gets circulated and then flows back to your heart on the right side, Winter explains. Similarly, sleeping on your left side, specifically, could help the flow of blood to your heart.

Sleep plays a very active role in removing protein pieces called beta-amyloid that can cause Alzheimer’s disease when they build up in the brain. It’s not clear if these findings carry over into humans, says Winter, though he notes we remove waste from our brains much more effectively when we’re asleep than when we’re awake. Why is this significant? Functioning glymphatic systems, which flush harmful waste products out of the brain, are key to preventing dementia and other neurological diseases. During the study, mice that slept on their sides had more efficient glymphatic systems compared to those that slept on their stomachs or backs. One animal study found that sleeping on your side might lower the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases. Snoozing on your side can help give your spine a break from the tension from holding your head up, standing or sitting throughout the day.ĭaily Burn: 9 Weight Loss Success Stories You’re Going to Want to SeeĬurling up on the right or left could also be good for your brain. The slightly curled-in fetal position recreates the natural curve your spine had in the womb, before holding your head up, sitting down or walking around changed the curvature of your spine and potentially put stress on your lower back, explains Winter. Plus, it can be ideal for your spine and might help ease low back pain. Christopher Winter, MD, medical director of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.ĭaily Burn: 6 Signs That You’re Exhausted (Not Just Tired) If you snore or have breathing problems, sleeping on your side is the best choice for opening your airways so you can breathe better at night, says sleep specialist W. The Good: Side sleeping is by far the most commonly reported sleep position, and for good reason - it can have a whole lot of health benefits. Sleep Positions: Sweet Dreaming or Total Nightmare? Here’s the scoop on the benefits and drawbacks of the most common sleeping positions.ĭaily Burn: Daily Burn: 5 Intermittent Fasting Methods: Which One Is Right for You? But if you snore like a bear every time your head hits the pillow or you wake up feeling stiff as a board, it might be time to switch things up at bedtime. When you get in bed and cozy into your covers at night, you probably don’t put much thought into whether you’re on your side, back or stomach.

Side sleeping is the most commonly reported sleep position and has many health benefits

Which side should i sleep on while pregnant