In yoga studios and gyms, one has to watch the weight lifting technique and poses keenly to avoid potential injuries and get the most from the exercise. The same applies when it comes to sleep. The sleeping position you lie on plays a huge role when it comes to your general health and wellness.
While some sleeping positions can promote good health, others leave a negative impact. There are positions that will not allow you to rest peacefully once the lights are off even if you stay on bed for the recommended 7-9 hours.
Digestion problems are ugly and painful to deal with. This is especially true when you are sleeping. The last thing you also want is to wake up to constipation, acid reflux, or other digestion-related issues. Therefore, to avoid all these issues, it is essential to learn convenient sleeping positions that will allow you to rest and prevent accumulating any digestion problems.
Elevate Your Head
When you eat fatty and heavy food before heading to bed might result in building heartburn. Heartburns can be discomforting and completely restless. They do not allow you to find peace no matter how hard you try to assume them. If possible, it is recommended to avoid eating at least two hours before bedtime.
However, in the case where you were unable to avoid eating late, you do not have to worry about heartburn too. When you elevate your head between 6 and 9 inches, you are likely to facilitate proper digestion and prevent heartburn too.
Heartburn happens as a result of stomach acid flowing into the esophagus. When you elevate your head, you limit this flow due to gravity law hence eliminate the possibilities of dealing with the discomfort and pain associated with the condition.
Sleep On Your Left Side
Side sleeping is commonly associated with numerous health benefits for our bodies. Sleeping on your left side, however, is backed by scientists and medical doctors as the most appropriate position to aid digestion. When you sleep on your left, studies have shown that it can help reduce or prevent heartburn in the first place. According to the same research, sleeping on your right increases heartburn discomfort hence making it tough for you to rest.
It is therefore recommended, if it is challenging to maintain the left side sleeping position all night, you can support yourself with a body pillow or wedge. This will prevent you from rolling over during the night to continue to enjoy the benefits of left-side sleeping.
Sleeping on the left promotes coordination between gravity and the digestion system. According to scientific studies, the movement of waste from the small intestine to the large intestine and lastly the lower colon starts from the right down to the left. Therefore, apart from preventing heartburn, you also speed up the entire digestion process, and you are likely to wake up with bowel movement.
Place a Pillow Between Your Legs
You have tried sleeping on the left side, elevate your head, but you are still uncomfortable, then it is time to improvise and maximize your comfort. The reason behind the discomfort might be strained neck or misaligned spine when you bend your knees in a particular position.
When you sleep, it is difficult to avoid bending knees regardless of the position you sleep. Therefore, to ensure that you maintain the same neutral position for your spine, and still enjoy peaceful sleep, place a pillow between the legs. The pillow will prevent discomfort and enhance your neck position for exceptional comfort. Once you are comfortable, digestion will take place smoothly, and you will not have to stress yourself throughout the night.
What’s The Worst Positions for Digestion?
Giving you ideas on the best sleeping positions to facilitate digestion is good. However, letting you know that there is the worst position as far as digestion is concerned is more profitable too. Some positions will only worsen the problem even if they are your favorite. In other words, if you often find yourself feeling tired or uncomfortable right from bed, it will be profitable to check on your sleeping habits.
Sleeping On Your Stomach
The bodyweight of a person is at the center. When you sleep on your stomach even without the consideration of digestion, you place your spine in the wrong direction making it strain. In the case of digestion, sleeping on your stomach adds pressure to the stomach hence worsening the already existing digestion problem.
Note: Avoid Eating Before Bedtime
After every meal, it feels good when you allow your body time to digest and utilize the food gradually. Giving yourself at least two hours before getting in bed will help the system distinguish and convert the food appropriately.
If you must eat, then it is good practice to avoid heavy meals and eat a small portion. When you do not have more digestion work to handle during the night, your body will channel the present energy to relaxing your muscles and brain for a more productive day. Also, instead of eating late at night, why not change to eating a substantial breakfast in the morning. When you eat right in the morning, you give your body enough time to process the food and increase healthy living standards.
Conclusion
Eating is essential, and it helps us build energy and lead an all-round healthy person. On the other hand, sleeping comfortably through the night is a requirement for everyone. You must ensure that you get comfortable sleep for at least 7 hours a night. This comfort should not be interrupted by the choices you make of eating late at night.
Therefore, ensure to practice suitable sleeping positions to promote digestion and increase your resting capacity. Also, ensure that you prepare yourself psychologically in advance for the bed to ensure you have every reason to sleep comfortably.
However, in case you have an existing digestion problem, there is no shame in seeing a qualified physician for medical observation. Digestion problems can be painful and uncomfortable. It correcting the problem with sleep does not yield relevant results, and then a medical doctor might be of help.
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