If you absolutely must sleep on your side... at least put ‘this’ on your leg.

The best sleeping position is lying flat on your back, facing the ceiling. However, there are people who can only fall asleep or feel comfortable lying on their side. If it is difficult to change this position, it is recommended to place a pillow under your legs or lie with your left side down.

 

◇ When lying on your side, place a pillow between your knees and position your left side downward.

 

When sleeping on your side, it is best to place a pillow between your knees. Sleeping this way helps maintain a straight posture for the spine and neck. It also reduces irritation to the buttocks and legs. A pillow height of 10 to 15 cm is suitable to keep the neck and shoulders at the same level. Additionally, when sleeping on your side, it is advisable to position your left side downward. This is due to the shape of the stomach; placing the left side of the torso lower allows food and stomach acid to settle stably in the wider stomach sac. Sleeping on the opposite side, the right, can cause food mixed with stomach acid to shift toward the esophagus, making one prone to reflux esophagitis.

◇ If you have reflux esophagitis, teeth grinding, or sleep apnea, it is best to sleep on your side. On the other hand, if you have a specific medical condition, sleeping on your side can be helpful.

 

 

▷ Reflux esophagitis

 

Sleeping on your left side relieves reflux esophagitis. According to research from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the degree of esophageal acid exposure was lower when sleeping on the left side compared to when not. The stomach, which digests food, is located on the left side of the body. When sleeping on the left, the hollow of the stomach faces downward, allowing remaining food to descend in the correct direction for digestion. When lying on the right side, the stomach is positioned above the esophagus, increasing the risk of stomach acid reflux into the esophagus when the esophageal sphincter relaxes.

 

Teeth grinding

 

The primary cause of teeth grinding is mouth breathing, where one breathes through the mouth due to a blocked nose while sleeping. A study by the Seoul Sleep Center found that 82% of all teeth grinders suffer from sleep breathing disorders, such as mouth breathing. Among the participants, 84% ground their teeth when lying on their backs but did not when sleeping on their sides. Sleeping on one's back causes the mouth to open, tensing the jaw muscles and exacerbating teeth grinding.

 

▷ Sleep apnea

 

Lying on your side can also improve sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing stops during sleep, often accompanied by symptoms such as snoring and insomnia. It is caused by the narrowing of the airway due to factors like enlarged tissues (such as the tongue and tonsils) or obesity. Sleeping on your back can worsen sleep apnea because the base of the tongue sags backward, blocking the airway. Lying on your side widens the airway, allowing for comfortable breathing.

 

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Reflux esophagitis rather

They say it's worse if you sleep on your right side.

It's good to go to sleep right away, and

Sleeping on your side is also good, so please take a look.