Which side is better to sleep on: scientifically proven tips

Causes

There are three forms (grades) of heartburn: moderate, moderate and severe.
Moderate heartburn occurs once a month. Average - four times, and severe illness can occur daily. The first two forms can be a consequence of the following factors:

eating before bedtime;
presence of stressful situations;
excess body weight;
excess food intake;
air ingestion when eating;
abuse of alcohol, smoking, meat and sweet products;
abuse of fried, sour, spicy, smoked, fatty foods;
incompatibility of products.

One of the causes of heartburn at night is eating less than three hours before bedtime. In the lying position, acids and enzymes, which are designed to break down food, are released into the esophagus.

If you can’t avoid late meals, you can get rid of symptoms by raising your head higher and lying on your left side.

If you have symptoms of the first two forms, you need to completely give up bad habits: smoking, overeating, talking while eating.

It would be better to exclude from the diet all foods that cause increased production of acids and enzymes.

Diet during reflux

Diet therapy plays an important role, as does medication. Unfortunately, many people are irresponsible about their diet, which causes biliary colic. An excess of fatty foods, smoked foods and spices can lead to the rapid release of thick secretions and a toxic effect on the mucous membrane of the internal digestive organs.

To neutralize reflux, patients are advised to follow diet number 5. It involves processing all food products at high temperatures. To prevent the constant occurrence of gastroduodenal reflux, you need to exclude sweet carbonated drinks, sausage, oily creams, and fatty meats.

Why is your sleeping position so important?

Recently, experts have begun to say that it is very important not only to get enough time to rest at night. You also need to do it right. Many will be surprised: what does this mean? So, doctors answer that a lot depends on just one position of night sleep, namely:

The digestive system works first.
State of immunity.
The appearance of the skin, especially the face.

Sleeping immediately after eating
It should be noted that, in fact, there are a lot of sleeping positions: on the back, on the stomach, but on one and the other side. People even manage to sleep in a ball, curled up in a very small ball.

The sideways position is common. However, it has been established that it is not suitable for everyone. Scientists have concluded that proper rest depends on the duration of sleep and posture. Test time has shown that beneficial posture affects:

digestion and its functioning;
immunity;
the heart and its work;
color and condition of the skin of the face and the whole body;
course of existing pathologies;
hair condition.

Thus, the position on any side or stomach, back can be decisive for a person’s health, but not everyone knows what the correct side should be.

The most suitable position is on the left side of the body. It prevents snoring. It is perfect for people with obstructive sleep apnea.

When a person lies on his right side, heartburn attacks are possible. This position leads to digestive problems and stops the elimination of toxins from the body. The situation is dangerous because it can lead to the development of a serious illness.

When a person sleeps on his back, breathing becomes difficult and snoring may occur. Scientists say that the preference for this body position leads to low oxygen levels in the blood. This increases the risk of respiratory diseases.

Diseases

Frequent, severe heartburn occurs in people with the following diseases:

inflammation of the mucous surface of the esophagus (esophagitis, reflux esophagitis);
tumor of the endocrine gland (pancreas);
stomach ulcer (iatrogenic, secondary, stress, endocrine, peptic);
duodenal ulcer;
gastritis;
hiatal hernia (esophageal opening);
duodenitis.

Non-esophageal diseases and conditions can contribute to the frequent appearance of symptoms: pulmonary fibrosis, pharyngitis, otitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, arrhythmia, caries, stomatitis, periodontal disease, pregnancy.

Also, the use of certain medications can cause unpleasant and even painful sensations in the stomach and esophagus.

Heartfelt.
Hypotensive.
Anti-asthmatic.

In any case, consultation with a doctor is required to determine the cause. The danger of frequent manifestations of symptoms lies in the similarity with the symptoms of acute heart failure.

Influence

The left side of the body is the dominant lymphatic side. Resting in this position helps the body filter lymph fluid better. The processing of waste products from the brain is also accelerated.

For blood circulation

This position relieves some of the tension from the heart, improves arterial circulation, and has a positive effect on varicose veins.

The position discussed in the article will facilitate the transition of food from the stomach to the intestines. Lying on your right side can cause heartburn.

In this case, gravity is involved. A night's rest in this position helps food waste pass through the large intestine better. Enzyme production also improves.

Sleeping on the left side of the body is suitable for those who suffer from back pain. In this position, the spine rests, the back muscles do not experience excessive tension.

Prevention

Let's look at the issues of preventing and eliminating the disease, which side to sleep on if you have heartburn. The question arises among people who experience discomfort during sleep.

Often, incorrect body position provokes relaxation of the sphincter and the release of acid.

Many people are used to sleeping on their side. In this situation, with accompanying irritating circumstances, heartburn begins.

The reason is the physiological location of the stomach on the left side (with a left-sided bend).

In a horizontal position on the side, the circulation of lymph and blood worsens, food accumulates in the system.

As a result, the accumulated contents provoke the formation of gases and fermentation. Therefore, you need to lie on your left side.

Preventive measures to prevent the disease should be observed regardless of the severity. The following tips will help prevent heartburn:

lying only on the left side, on the back, on the right side is undesirable;
chew food slowly and thoroughly;
avoid physical activity immediately after eating;
consume fermented milk products, fiber, steamed and boiled food more often;
exclude fried, too spicy, smoked, fatty foods;
goes to bed two or three hours after eating;
do not eat very hot or cold foods;
drink 200 milliliters of good quality water half an hour before meals;
eat more raw than cooked (vegetables, berries, fruits, excluding cabbage, peas, beans, grapes;
do not eat too much and eat only when you feel hungry;
use frequent meals every 3-4 hours in small portions (up to six times);
limit the consumption of foods and drinks that stimulate increased acid production (coffee, alcoholic and carbonated drinks, tea, chocolate, cheese).

Diet for heartburn

It is also recommended to follow a therapeutic diet, which includes split meals in small portions up to 6-7 times a day. Avoid foods that can cause heartburn: sour juices, strong meat and fish broths, fresh white cabbage, apples, whole milk, chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes, carbonated drinks and alcohol.

Food should be steamed or boiled in water.

Soups are prepared without frying. It is necessary to avoid eating foods prepared by frying or smoking, especially using a large amount of seasonings and spices. It is also advisable to exclude bread and confectionery products with butter and protein creams. It is not recommended to consume canned foods. It is allowed to eat fermented milk products, lean meat (chicken breast, rabbit, turkey, veal, lean beef), stewed vegetables (except peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes), cereals (buckwheat, rice).

For GERD, vegetables are recommended to be consumed boiled.

Sleeping on your side: which side to choose?

Health is important for every person, and the stronger it is, the better health and longer life span. There are many signs that allow you to solve dreams or make them better, for example, with a dream catcher. However, not everyone listens to doctors' recommendations regarding posture for night rest. Sleeping on the side can be different and depends on the chosen side.

Right side

For those who like to sleep on this side, such rest brings its advantages:

heat exchange is normalized, which is important for hot climates;
cholelithiasis subsides, taking away pain and discomfort, which is not uncommon for night sleep;
right-sided rest is indicated for stress or general anxiety;
dreams will be bright and positive, unlike those who sleep on the left side.

However, the pose also has disadvantages, and significant ones at that. They are due to the fact that in the presence of disturbances in the digestive and lymphatic systems, the organs are unable to fully function. This leads to their failures and further health problems.

Left-hand side

For those who like to sleep on the left side, this position has its advantages:

Lymph circulates throughout the body normally, making the immune system strong and the body healthy.
The brain is completely rested during night sleep.
Varicose veins disappear or become less noticeable, because the entire circulatory system is activated and works better.
Sleeping will not be painful, especially for those who suffer from heartburn, since the stomach will not be subject to pressure.
The digestive system functions normally, which will allow you to process even a hearty dinner without problems.
To prevent back pain while resting, it is recommended to choose this position, since the spinal column will be relieved of excessive pressure on it.

There are practically no downsides to such rest, except for those related to the advantages of right-sided sleep, but this is also decided individually according to the needs of the body.

There are those who find it uncomfortable to lie on their left side; they prefer the right. Scientists argue that this situation also has its advantages, these are:

Normalization of rest in summer. Doctors have confirmed that during hot periods it is better to sleep on the right side. This is how the body cools down naturally.
Symptoms of gallstone disease are reduced. Sleeping on the right side of the body alleviates the condition.
More vivid and positive dreams. Experts recommend that people with chronic stress choose the right side. This reduces anxiety.

But there are also disadvantages that should also be taken into account.

This position should not be chosen by people who have problems with acidity levels.

Which side is better to sleep on for better health? This is an individual question. Sometimes people are still advised to rest after eating and sleep on their right side. Namely, this applies to people with gallstone disease. This measure will help reduce the manifestations of characteristic symptoms and significantly alleviate the patient’s condition.

The disadvantages of this situation are the inhibition of the digestive process. This way food masses can be thrown into the esophagus. The lymphatic system also slows down. Because of this, toxins are not eliminated from the body on time.

Treatment

Therapy is carried out only after contacting a specialist and making a diagnosis. When symptoms are rare, a number of drugs have been used successfully.

Medicines that restore the functioning of the stomach (Mukofalk, Motilak, Ganaton, Exportal).
Anti-secretory PPIs (Pantoprazole, Lansoprazole, Gastrozole, Peptazole, Omitox, Sanpraz, Pepticum).
Enzyme agents (Festal, Pancreatin, Mezim, Somilaza, Pangrol, Digestal, Creon, Panzinorm).
Antacids (Gestid, Maalox, Relzer, Gastal, Rennie, calcium carbonate, Almagel, Palmagel).
Drugs that reduce acid production (Neutronorm-retard, Ranitidine, Roxatidine).
Bacterial agents (Lactobacterin, Bactisporin, Acilact, Hilak, Acipol, Bifiform, Baktisubtil).

Drug therapy for heartburn

Medicines to treat GERD

To eliminate heartburn, drug therapy is used, which consists of prescribing medications from various pharmacological groups:

antacids (Gastal, Gaviscon, Maalox, Phosphalugel, Almagel, Rennie);
proton pump inhibitors (Omeprazole, Esomeprazole, Pantoprazole);
histamine receptor blockers (Cimetidine, Famotidine, Ranitidine);
enzyme preparations (Mezim forte, Panzinorm, Enzistal, Festal, Creon);
drugs that normalize gastric motility (Metoclopramide, Motilak);
preparations containing “beneficial” bacteria and their metabolic products (Hilak forte, Bifidum bacterin, Acipol, Lactobacterin).

Drug therapy is prescribed individually depending on the causes of heartburn.

Recommendations for pregnant women

It is worth noting that at different stages of pregnancy, different resting positions are recommended. This is explained by the physiological changes of the woman and the intrauterine development of the fetus.

For the first three months, a woman can rest in any position convenient for her. The child is still very small and it is impossible to harm him.

Already from the 12th week, changes in the appearance of the expectant mother begin to occur. The abdomen gradually increases in size. You cannot sleep on your stomach during this period.

Also, you should not rest lying on your back, this puts stress on the spine. The best option would be to sleep on the left side of the torso.

While resting on the left side of the body, the pregnant woman’s internal organs are not compressed, and blood flows normally to the placenta. After waking up, there is no swelling or pain in the back and pelvis. This position also reduces the load on the heart and kidneys, which is especially important for women who are carrying twins.

Doctors do not recommend choosing the fetal position for sleeping. This position is harmful to the spine, as it is constantly curved. In this position, many organs are compressed, and blood circulation is impaired. Sleeping in a curl is contraindicated for people who suffer from arthritis.

For comfortable sleep, the room temperature should not exceed 22°C. Be sure to ventilate the room. The mattress should be moderately hard and the pillow not too high. In the evening, under no circumstances should you overeat. This will cause heaviness and discomfort in the stomach, which will negatively affect the body as a whole.

Avoid excessive watching TV or playing computer games. It’s worth reading a book with a light plot an hour before falling asleep or spending time with your family. In this way, you can also tune your nervous system to rest.

You shouldn’t take unnecessary problems and worries with you to bed.

The room must be dark. In the absence of light, the hormone melatonin is produced, which helps you fall asleep faster.

Scientists recommend resting on the left side. To accustom yourself to this position, you need to adhere to the following simple rules.

Lie on the correct side. To avoid the temptation to roll over, place a pillow.
To form a habit faster, you should lie on the side of the bed opposite from your usual one.
You can also leave the night light on on the right. Thus, the sleeper will involuntarily turn his back to the light.

You need to choose the right time to acquire a new habit. You should not do this during a cold or ARVI.

It often happens that you want to lie down after eating. Doctors still recommend overcoming this desire and staying awake for 1 hour. This will allow the body to digest food faster.

Sleeping immediately after eating is not beneficial, since the body cannot fully rest. The digestion process will be in the active phase, and due to the supine position it will also be slowed down. In addition, if a person falls asleep with a full stomach, then the sleep will be restless with nightmares.

Unfortunately, for a period of 6 months (second and third trimester), the expectant mother will have to give up any position other than on her side. But which side of the body is best to give preference to? Answering the question about which side is better to sleep on during pregnancy, doctors note: the healthiest sleep is on the left side.

In this case, there is no compression of internal organs, blood flows better to the placenta, swelling decreases and pain in the back and pelvis disappears. If a woman is pregnant with twins, then sleeping on the left side is for her. In this case, there is less load on the kidneys and heart, which is very, very important.

Pay attention to what you sleep on. The mattress on your bed should be fairly firm and the pillows flat and small. The ideal option is rollers, then the head will not tilt back or be in an unnatural position, causing tension.
If you need to sleep on a certain side, you can place a pillow on the opposite side; it will prevent you from turning over, at least unconsciously, when you are asleep.
Under no circumstances should you go to bed immediately after eating. If it happens that you couldn’t resist eating, take a walk somewhere, or at least walk around the room. You can find out more about all the rules in the article “TOP 14 rules for healthy human sleep for successful and productive activities.”
Try to avoid monotony in body position, as wrinkles can appear on both the chest and shoulders. And if the skin is not at all toned, only on one side, it will, at a minimum, look incomprehensible. And besides, you should not force yourself to take a certain position, because if it is not comfortable for you, you will not be able to relax, and therefore there will be little benefit from such a process. As a last resort, try using small rollers to organize comfort.

Unfortunately, for a period of 6 months (second and third trimester), the expectant mother will have to give up any position other than on her side. But which side of the body is best to give preference to? Answering the question about which side is better to sleep on during pregnancy, doctors note: the healthiest sleep is on the left side.

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Symptoms and general signs of reflux

People who are faced with the problem of bile reflux for the first time inevitably begin to become interested in how bile reflux into the stomach occurs and the signs of pathology. The constant secretion of bile with its subsequent reflux has a detrimental effect on the mucous membranes of all organs, including the esophagus, trachea, pharynx and oral cavity. When visiting a gastroenterologist, patients most often report the following symptoms:

constant taste of bitterness;
yellow coating on the tongue;
chest pain, frequent heartburn;
aversion to meat, heavy, spicy and fried foods;
nausea, and mothers of infants complain of belching in the baby, frequent regurgitation;
constipation followed by diarrhea;
profuse vomiting, especially after eating too much;
spasmodic pain in the epigastric region after eating;
cough;
bloating, constant rumbling in the intestinal area.

The regular flow of bile secretion into the digestive organs can be a sign of the appearance of pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The accumulation of bile in the stomach cavity can subsequently move into the esophagus and oral cavity. In this case, it is customary to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux pathology, in which most of the changes occur in the esophagus. Contact of bile secretion and gastric juice causes consequences in the form of constant belching. It is also worth paying attention to the condition of the patient's stool. Mucus in the stool, which contains small flakes, indicates a pathological change in the bladder and intestines.

Folk remedies

The use of natural remedies has proven effective in preventing and treating the disease. But it is important to establish the cause and consider the frequency of symptoms.

The following natural remedies will help prevent and relieve symptoms.

Heartburn goes away if you dissolve a little coarse table salt (1-2 grams) in your mouth.

Use a decoction of rosehip fruits or roots forty minutes before meals (200 milliliters warm). The dosage rate is 4 times a day.

Then add to the required volume and leave for 12 hours.

Forty minutes before meals, drink Jerusalem artichoke (earthen pear) juice, two tablespoons diluted with water.

In advanced cases, symptoms are treated with an infusion of corn flour: one tablespoon of flour per 200 milliliters of hot water is kept for 8-10 hours (one night), drink the infusion in the morning, lie down or sleep on your left side for at least forty minutes, course treatment is thirty days.

About the sleep of heart patients and hypertensive patients

Which side is better to sleep on for the heart, that is, for those who suffer from hypertension and other “heart” problems? So, doctors say that in this case, the ideal position would be to sleep on your back. This helps the circulatory system work properly. Resting on the left side is not very good in this case. After all, the heart is slightly squeezed in this position, which causes additional stress on this organ.

People with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases should choose to sleep on their back. With this position, blood circulation is normalized.

Lying on the left side, a person may experience heart pain. This is explained by the fact that in this position there is a slight clamping of it, increasing the load on the organ.

For heart disease

The problem of choosing a “sleepy” position is especially relevant for those who have been diagnosed with hypertension or any other disease of the cardiovascular system. How is it better for them to sleep: on the left side or on the right? Doctors call sleeping on your back the ideal option - with this position of the body, the circulatory system functions correctly. Lying on the left side, in their opinion, is undesirable. Doctors are convinced that under the pressure of weight, a slight compression of the heart occurs. And this additionally burdens it, which is completely unnecessary for the diseased organ.

If you fall asleep on your stomach, there will be errors in the functioning of the respiratory system. The blood will be less saturated with oxygen. This is not recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases.

Note that not all doctors adhere to this point of view. Some experts, on the contrary, prescribe that heart patients sleep on their left side. They believe that this improves blood circulation to and from the heart. Left-sided sleep, in their opinion, also helps to partially relieve tension from the heart muscle and improve lymph outflow. But for people who have been diagnosed with a heart attack or chronic heart failure, it is advisable to rest lying on their right side.

Doctors are still debating about the best one for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, there is no clear and unambiguous answer to this question. It would be best to focus on personal well-being and select the optimal location experimentally.

Snoring: a common consequence of resting on your back

Which side is better to lie on after eating? In order to facilitate the digestion process, it is better to sleep on the left side. This is due to the fact that in this position the stomach and pancreas are not compressed by other organs. Therefore, food is digested faster, and enzymes are produced better by the pancreas.

Also, food masses pass through the intestines faster if you lie on your left side, especially after a heavy dinner. The digestive process will speed up (when compared with another horizontal position of the body), and by the morning the person will feel the urge to defecate.

It is important that if a person lies on his left side, the lymphatic system is strengthened, which also contributes to the normal functioning of the body as a whole. It has been proven that there are more lymphatic vessels on the left side. Consequently, waste products that are processed by the lymphatic system are eliminated from the body faster and more efficiently.

The liver functions better if a person sleeps on the left side. This is due to the fact that many different processes take place in it during sleep, and in this position blood circulation increases. Thanks to this, congestion in the liver is prevented.

Many scientific studies and human observations suggest that more men sleep on their backs and many of them snore in their sleep. This disorder has a reason - the amount of oxygen in the blood decreases. For asthma and apnea, it is recommended to sleep on your sides.

Sleeping on your side is more important in hot and sultry weather, as this is the easiest method to cool the body without auxiliary means. It is very useful to rest on the right side for those who have problems with the functioning of bile or kidney stones.

Motor mode for heartburn

Equally important is maintaining physical activity after eating. After eating, you should not lie down for 1-2 hours. If you do have to lie down, it is advisable to use a high pillow or raise the head of the bed in another way. It also matters which side you should sleep on if you have heartburn. So why does heartburn occur during sleep?

Experts recommend sleeping on your left side, since in this position there is practically no risk of acidic gruel reflux into the esophagus.

On the left side, the food bolus passes better through the digestive tract, without lingering in its sections and without causing processes such as fermentation, increased gas formation and, as a result, the reflux of acidic contents into the esophageal tube. This is due to the fact that the stomach is located in the left half of the abdominal cavity and has a corresponding bend. Sleeping on the left side improves blood circulation, which also promotes better digestion of food and prevents congestion in the stomach and intestines. No less important is the fact that while sleeping on the left side, lymphatic drainage increases, which is also important for digestion. This measure is extremely difficult to observe, since usually after falling asleep a person takes the position that is comfortable for him to sleep and can turn on his right side. Despite this, it is extremely important to develop the habit of lying on your left side or back. Sleep position is also of great importance for pregnant women - to reduce the risk of heartburn and improve overall circulation. In addition, sleep helps reduce stress on the spine and increase blood flow to the uterus and kidneys.

The complex of all of the above measures allows you to quickly get rid of heartburn and prevent its recurrence. In turn, if you have heartburn, it would be a good idea to stop smoking, lose excess weight, and follow all doctor’s recommendations on taking medications and nutrition. In any case, if a symptom occurs, you should immediately contact a specialist who will prescribe the necessary examinations and rational treatment. The earlier therapy is started, the more favorable the prognosis for any disease. Self-treatment with medications is strictly prohibited, since only a specialist will be able to select the correct treatment regimen depending on the cause of heartburn.

Heartburn

Many people suffer from heartburn, but not everyone knows that you can prevent its occurrence by developing the habit of lying and sleeping on your left side. This is explained by the fact that the stomach is on the left side. And due to its specific curved shape, in this position the stomach contents do not reflux into the esophagus.

People with frequent heartburn are not recommended to lie down on a flat horizontal surface. It is better to have a pillow under your head, then the upper body will be raised. Therefore, if you have heartburn and pain in the right hypochondrium, you need to pay special attention to your body position while resting.

How long after eating can you lie down and go to bed, day and night?

Many lovers of a healthy lifestyle and those who are concerned about their figure tend to walk or jog after eating. This is also wrong, since excessive physical activity causes blood to flow from the stomach to the extremities.

Thus, a certain blood deficiency occurs in the stomach area, which causes food to stagnate in it. It begins to ferment, so some problems with the gastrointestinal tract may occur.

If you take a horizontal position immediately after eating, some of the gastric juice from the stomach will flow into the esophagus. Because of this, you will feel heaviness and heartburn.

Thus, you should not lie down, run, or walk after eating. The best option is to sit for 15-20 minutes. After this, you can perform various physical exercises and more serious physical activity. In this case, part of the food will settle in the stomach and be well absorbed. A sufficient amount of gastric juice will be released to process food.

Sleeping immediately after eating

Going to bed at lunchtime or in the evening after eating is unacceptable. This promotes the flow of gastric juice into the esophagus. Reducing the amount of gastric juice helps slow down metabolism. Thus, you risk getting excess fat in the waist and hips.

Rules of conduct after eating:

After sleep, you may experience an unpleasant sensation in the stomach and esophagus. This is due to the fact that food taken immediately before bed is not digested. It stagnates in the stomach, and the number of pathogenic microorganisms increases.
If you come home late from work and feel hungry, you should not overeat and take large amounts of food before bed. The best option would be a light dinner. To do this, you can use kefir and low-fat dairy products. It is also acceptable to use fruit.

Heaviness after eating
You should not rest or sleep immediately after eating.

After a light dinner, you can go to bed no earlier than an hour later. If you have eaten fairly heavily, then you can go to rest no earlier than after 3 hours.
It is precisely because in the evening and during sleep the metabolism slows down and food is digested rather slowly that nutritionists have established the norm. It is not recommended to eat after 18:00.
If you are not one of the people who are worried about their figure, then eating after 18:00 is allowed. But it should be food rich in protein or dietary fiber. You can eat fruits, vegetables, and not very fatty foods. Sausages and fried foods are not allowed.
If you eat too much before going to bed and feel full or even overeated, this will contribute to the accumulation of fatty tissue. Thus, you risk gaining a few extra pounds and developing gastrointestinal diseases.

Healthy food before bed
As noted earlier, you should not sleep after eating. But if you have eaten and experience heartburn, in this case it is better to lie on your left side. The fact is that this promotes better passage of food through the walls of the stomach and esophagus.

Which side to sleep on:

If you have problems with high blood pressure or diabetes, it is best for you to sleep on your back. This position is also suitable if you suffer from any diseases of the spine.
After eating, you should not sleep on your right side or stomach. This will put pressure on the walls of the stomach and esophagus, as well as slow down metabolism.
Accordingly, if you do not have the opportunity to sit, walk, or move a little after eating, then it is best to lie on your left side. Never lie down on your stomach or right side.

Snack before bed
As you can see, sleeping after eating is not a good idea. This helps slow down the metabolism and allow a small amount of gastric juice to flow from the stomach into the esophagus. In turn, this contributes to the development of pathology of the digestive tract.

Heaviness after eating

Sleeping on the left side is considered a better option than sleeping on the right. In this position, it is more difficult for gastric juice to enter the esophagus during sleep, while on the right side, it easily enters the esophagus, causing heartburn and causing bad breath. It should also be noted that sleeping on the left side is recommended for pregnant women and people with signs of reflux disease.

If sleep occurs at noon or after lunch, you need to sleep on the left side or back, which creates minimal compression of the stomach area, promotes normal digestion and also reduces the possibility of heartburn.

It is also worth noting that it is not enough to sleep on the left side; the position of the head, legs and arms is also important.

Unfortunately, many people suffer from various ailments of the cardiovascular system to varying degrees. And we're not just talking about older people. Many young and active people suffer from ailments such as arrhythmia, dystonia, hypotension, and hypertension. In such cases, cardiologists advise their patients to fall asleep on their back after eating.

It is in this position that the circulatory system can work normally and productively. Rest on the left side is strictly contraindicated for heart patients. The fact is that when you lie in such a position, the heart is squeezed, and additional stress occurs on it. This should be avoided. By falling asleep on your back, the human body receives maximum muscle relaxation and the blood circulation process is stabilized. The supine position is also suitable for those who have an easily excitable nervous system.

Also, for patients who are often overcome by insomnia, it is better to sleep on their back, with their palms facing up. However, you should not get carried away with this position, because during sleep the vessels heading to the spine are compressed. Pregnant women also sleep on their backs. The main thing is not to cross your arms over your chest.

Prevention and treatment

To avoid heartburn in children, it is necessary to limit the child's dinner before bed. Excessive amounts of food negatively affect the entire gastrointestinal tract of the baby. Children may experience a burning sensation during sleep, just like adults.

Increased acidity of gastric juice causes heartburn during sleep. It is necessary to regulate the consumption of foods to avoid unpleasant symptoms. Fruits, vegetables and other foods that can affect the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the body should be excluded from the diet.

There is a popular belief that after eating it is necessary to take a horizontal position for better absorption of microelements. This is wrong. It is advisable not to engage in physical activity and limit yourself to quiet activities. If a person is lying down, then the pillow should be set high.

If heartburn attacks recur daily, you should consult your doctor and determine the causes of the disease. The specialist will prescribe tests and necessary examinations. If you have heartburn, you need to take medications systematically to achieve the intended effect. It is not recommended to suppress symptoms on your own. Treatment must be prescribed by a doctor, and you cannot change the dosage of the drug on your own or on the advice of friends. By eliminating the symptoms, a person does not eliminate the root cause.

We recommend: How to treat heartburn and gastritis at home?

Snoring: a common consequence of resting on your back

Before figuring out which side is better to sleep on, it must be said that representatives of the stronger sex really like to rest on their backs at night. But is it possible to do this? What do doctors say about this state of affairs?

This position makes breathing very difficult. That is why people who like to sleep on their backs often snore, which disturbs the sleep of those around them. But this is not the worst thing. Sleeping on your back is dangerous especially for those who suffer from asthma or apnea. After all, temporary stops in breathing that occur in this case are considered very harmful.
The second point that doctors recently talked about: sleeping on your back leads to a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood, which significantly increases the risk of respiratory diseases. This became known as a result of previous research.

Sleeping on your back is considered more beneficial than any other position. In this case, the internal organs are not compressed or pressure is applied to them, and the spine is completely relaxed at this time. Despite this, it is quite difficult for many to fall asleep on their back; this depends on the mattress, which should be hard, and the height of the pillow should be low.

In addition, there are little tricks that consist of placing mini-pillows under your knees, which will allow you to more fully align your spine, preventing it from excessively arching in the lower back.

However, the main thing to remember is that the habit of sleeping on your back is developed only over time.

Why is sleeping on the right side not recommended?

So which side is better to sleep on: the right or the left? We need to figure it out. What do experts say about night rest on the right side?

This is not very beneficial for the digestive system. After all, gastric juice in this case may not be in the stomach, but in the esophagus. You can immediately answer the question “which side is better to sleep on if you have heartburn?” Definitely not on the right.
In this case, the work of the lymphatic system becomes a little less intense, that is, the removal of toxins from the body slows down.
Doctors say that sleeping on the right side is best in hot weather. After all, in this case, natural cooling of the body occurs.
It is very beneficial to rest at night on the right side of the body for those who suffer from cholelithiasis.
Which side is better to sleep on for those who are in a constant state of anxiety? Exactly on the right. This is evidenced by specialist research.

If you still like to sleep on your right side, then it is mandatory to use an orthopedic mattress, which allows the spine to take a neutral position and creates a shock-absorbing load. If the mattress is old with signs of strong compression, then this increases the chances of pain in the spine.

In the end, no one can forbid you to sleep on your right side, if, when you wake up over time, you do not feel problems with digestion, heartburn does not torment you and the spine does not make itself felt, then please sleep well, but the use of orthopedic mattresses is still recommended .

Which side is correct to sleep on after eating? According to specialists in traditional and alternative medicine, it is better for a person who has eaten a hearty meal to lie down on the right side of the body (if it is impossible to stay awake), but not on the stomach or back. Those who do the right thing and sleep on their right side after eating feel better, because the digestive process is in an active phase, and it is easier for the stomach to cope with its task.

It is also not the best option to go to the kingdom of Morpheus hungry. Sleep will also be poor, weak, sensitive, and you won’t be able to fully rest, no matter how much you want.

Sleeping position on the left side

Such a disease as diabetes is familiar to many people. Such patients are advised to fall asleep on their left side with their knees bent. This position has a positive effect on the functioning of the kidneys (they receive a greater load, better prevention from the formation of sand and stones in them). If you fall asleep on your left side and tuck only one leg, the load on one of the kidneys increases.

In addition to the kidneys, sleeping on the left side also has a beneficial effect on the liver. It is at night that many different processes occur in it (for example, protein synthesis in the blood, glycogen deposition). During the day, the liver performs a large amount of work, so it is important that there are no stagnant processes in it. Sleeping on your left side will save you from these problems.

Alternative medicine specialists also advise sleeping on the right and left sides, and be sure to keep your feet warm, since the body loses its usual temperature during sleep, as it is without movement. Thus, it is better to sleep on the right side in the summer, and on the left in the winter. However, these positions are only suitable for healthy people who do not have chronic diseases.

What can be said about the position for sleeping on the left side? So, generally speaking, it is more useful. But only if we are talking about a healthy person.

In this case, the gastric juice is located, as it were, in a bowl, that is, in the cavity of the stomach alone.
The lymphatic system works without delay, toxins are eliminated from the body normally.
This is a very useful pose for those people who suffer from diabetes. Or those patients who have problems with the liver. In this case, the anatomical feature of the body comes into play.

How to change a habit

It happens that a person really wants to change a position that turned out to be wrong for him. But the problem is that he has already become thoroughly accustomed to it. In the first few days after changing the position of the body, sleeping in the correct position will seem extremely uncomfortable. This is temporary discomfort that you just need to endure.

Sleeping on your left side has many benefits. How to get used to such a useful position if a person always slept on his right side, on his stomach or on his back? Of course, a new habit will not be formed overnight. You will need to be patient and diligent.

If you start practicing left-sided sleep regularly, positive changes in your well-being will not take long to come.

Sleep without nightmares

Sometimes people ask experts which side is better to sleep on after eating. So, doctors say that the best position for this is resting on the right side of the body. And all because in this case, the processes of food digestion will be in the active phase, and it will be easier for food to be sent to the duodenum.

“What do nightmares have to do with it?” – many will be surprised. It's simple. Often, if a person goes to bed with a full stomach, especially if they consumed fatty or fried foods before going to bed, this is fraught with nightmares and night horror films. But we also need to remember that you shouldn’t go on a night’s rest in a state of hunger. In this case, the sleep will be sensitive and weak. As a result, the body will not be able to fully rest.

Duodenogastric reflux: causes and mechanism

Many people who are faced with the problem of reflux are worried if bile appears in the stomach - the cause of the disease. The main causes of the pathology are connected by one common mechanism, which is called duodenogastric reflux.

The disease is the release of bile from the duodenum into the stomach. In addition, secretion can enter the esophagus and oral cavity (duodenogastroesophageal reflux). It is diagnosed in more than 75% of people suffering from digestive system disorders.

Often its multifunctional nature is evident, that is, the disease occurs as a result of disturbances in psychosomatic nervous regulation. But there are a number of other reasons why bile is refluxed into other organs of the abdominal cavity. Common reasons for having too much bile in the stomach include:

decreased tone of the lower digestive tract and small intestine;
failure of the sphincter lumen of the duodenum;
increased intra-abdominal pressure (this may be due to pregnancy);
impaired coordination between all parts of the digestive system;
diagnosis of chronic disease of the hepatobiliary system;
gall, which produces an excessive amount of thick secretion;
presence of pathogenic parasites;
previous operations in cancer patients;
biliary dyskinesia (diagnosis - biliary dyskinesia);
removal of the gallbladder.

Gastroenterologists believe that the reflux of bile from the duodenal intestine into the stomach can periodically occur in healthy people. This may occur at night and is not considered a pathological condition, provided that the level of stomach acid is within the normal range. Throwing can be caused by the following reasons:

eating large amounts of food;
desire to eat only spicy, fatty, fried foods;
poisoning with stale food;
increased intensity of physical activity;
food at night;
sharp movements;
habit of drinking large amounts of liquid during meals;
alcoholic beverages drunk on an empty stomach;
hangover;
regular fasting:
increased intra-abdominal pressure in pregnant women, when the fetus puts great pressure on the organs;
uncontrolled use of medications, including tablets to eliminate spasms;
stressful period.

In infants, the phenomenon occurs frequently, since they have a weakened sphincter of the sphincter.

If bile accumulates, the reasons may not only be physiological. Most likely, this condition acts as a symptom in such pathologies as:

ulcerative colitis of the stomach and duodenal intestine;
the presence of stones in the bladder and ducts;
pathological changes that are accompanied by an excess of bile and its stagnation (cholestasis);
intestinal obstruction;
the presence of acute or chronic gastritis caused by the Helicobacter bacteria;
JVP (biliary dyskinesia);
swelling of the duodenal mucosa;
abdominal trauma;
diagnosis of acute cholecystitis (inflammatory process);
malignant tumor;
gall spasms;
lack of protective mucus produced;
impaired motility in the small intestine;
pain in the bile ducts and bladder.

In those who have previously undergone treatment related to the removal of the gallbladder, reduction/suturing of a duodenal ulcer, reflux occurs much more often. In addition, the reflux of bile into the cavity of other organs, including the stomach, pharynx, mouth, can be caused by the following factors:

a child has a congenital defect of the pylorus of the biliary tract;
dystrophic changes in smooth muscles;
previous operations that led to disruption of the integrity of the lumen.

All organs of the gastrointestinal tract, including the pancreas, stomach, bladder and liver, perform the work of primary processing of food with the help of digestive juice and special enzymes. The duct of the gallbladder and pancreas goes into the duodenum, where chyme (food products digested by gastric juice) is excreted. After this, the entire mass enters the small intestine. Bile in the stomach is a clinical manifestation of pathological changes in the bile duct and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

At the moment when esophagogastroduodenal reflux occurs, the entire process of food processing changes significantly. Due to the action of acid, the cell membrane is completely destroyed, which in turn causes an atrophic process in the stomach. Digestive juice, especially gastric juice, loses a number of its functional properties during contact with secretions. Food lumps cannot undergo the necessary processing, which significantly complicates the subsequent digestion process. When taking herbs, other herbal and medicinal preparations, the secretion will be produced in large quantities. The excess accumulates primarily in the gallbladder, which causes stagnation, and then in the duodenal intestine, after which reflux occurs. Also, do not forget that during healthy regulation, bile will not accumulate and be thrown into organs located above the duodenum.