Whats the best way to sleep for your heart

Illustration of sleeping position (Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio)

JAKARTA - Bad sleeping position affects health. Starting from making the back feel sore after waking up, the neck feels stiff, obstructed blood circulation to affect heart health.

In addition to paying attention to sleeping positions to maintain health, you also need to consider the types of nutritious foods that are consumed. What is a good position while sleeping? Well, consider the following explanation.

Supine sleeping position, good for reducing back pain

For those of you who often complain of sore backs and tense necks, sleeping on your back is a good position. This position relaxes the muscles in the neck, back, hips and heels. If you sleep in this position, the appearance of soreness after waking up is very small.

But this sleeping position is not good for GERD sufferers and those of you who have a snoring habit because the supine sleeping position makes it easier for stomach acid to move up the esophagus. This means that for those of you who have GERD tendencies, use a higher pile of pillows.

In order not to get sore quickly due to the high pile of pillows, change your sleeping position frequently. Meanwhile, for snorers, it is not only caused by breath but can indicate a condition of sleep apnea.

Although not everyone who snores because of their breath has sleep apnea, people with sleep apnea are more likely to experience heart disease.

A good sleeping position for heart health

Especially for pregnant women, sleeping on the side can improve blood flow to the heart so that the risk of blockage is getting smaller. For pregnant women, sleeping on your left side is very good.

For those of you who often snore, blood circulation is better and opens the airway so that the possibility of snoring is getting smaller.

Since sleeping on your side for a long time will experience tingling and numbness or numbness, it is recommended to expand the area of the body that is under pressure, for example by not bending the knees of the legs.

Curled sleeping position

It is best to sleep in the position facing the side and curled up, which is the foundation of the left side of the body. This sleeping position can improve blood circulation but is not good for people with arthritis or arthritis. Because for people with arthritis, curling up can increase back pain.

Sleeping on his stomach

To relieve the burden on your back, sleeping on your stomach is good. But if it's too long it is not healthy for the neck muscles because it needs to twist up to 90 degrees. For snorers, the prone sleeping position can be slightly reduced, although not significantly.

Illustration of sleeping on his stomach (Pexels / Oleja Titoff)

Sleep with your arms up

Sleeping position with arms up and hands over the head, good for those who have problems with the back. This sleeping position is also useful for treating skin problems, such as acne and signs of aging.

The drawback is that sleeping with your arms up can potentially increase stomach acid and put pressure on your shoulders.

From the sleeping position above, what you need to pay attention to again is the pile of pillows and the flexibility of the mattress. For those who have back problems, choose a mattress that can make your back straight. Meanwhile, for those who have a habit of snoring, check the pile of pillows according to the relief of breathing.

In essence, a good sleeping position for heart health is the side sleeping position. Tilt to the left to increase your heart rate while sleeping.

While tilting to the right is done to lower the heart rate, relax more, reduce shortness of breath, reduce snoring, and reduce the squeezing of the heart organ by other organs.

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Taking care of your heart is integral to maintaining good health. Diet, exercise, and sleep all decrease your risk for heart attack and other heart disorders. No matter your age, it’s never too early or too late to begin your journey to a healthy heart.

When you lie down in your favorite sleeping position, you probably don’t consider the benefits that it could have for your health. However, every position has some advantages. For instance, sleeping on your stomach can prevent you from snoring, and sleeping on your side is great for sleep apnea.

When it comes to heart health, side sleeping is usually best. Unbeknownst to many, what you sleep on and which side you sleep on matters. Which side is it, you ask? It depends on your condition.

Before you decide which side to sleep on, make sure you have the right bed waiting for you at home. SONU Sleep has created the only mattress on the market designed specifically for side sleepers — we’ll touch on this more later on.

How Can Sleeping on My Left Side Help?

Heartburn

If you have heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleeping on your left side may be the best sleeping position. Heartburn occurs when contents from your stomach, like stomach acid, travel up your esophagus. This usually occurs if your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) has become weak.

You can quell your heartburn symptoms by sleeping on your left side. This alleviates pressure from your stomach, allowing its contents to digest normally.

If you’re wondering why sleeping on your right doesn’t deliver the same results, it’s because sleeping on that side can worsen your heartburn or nighttime acid reflux symptoms.

If you can’t sleep on your side for pain reasons, you can sleep with your head elevated to reduce your heartburn symptoms and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Pregnancy

For pregnant women, sleeping on your left side can improve blood flow to your heart and other organs, like your kidneys and uterus. This sleeping posture will help blood flow to your uterus as well, which benefits your fetus.

The SONU Sleep System was created by side sleepers, for side sleepers.

This mattress features an innovative Comfort Channel, allowing you to immerse your arm and shoulder into the bed itself while sleeping on your side. This immersion helps prevent pain and pressure in your arm and shoulder while you sleep, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed.

How Can Sleeping on My Right Side Help?

Heart Failure

If you have experienced or are at risk for congestive heart failure, it’s best that you sleep on your right side. Sleeping on your left may cause further discomfort.

Sleep Apnea

Few people may know that having sleep apnea can lead to heart issues. Arrhythmia, hypertension, and heart failure are three conditions that can be caused by sleep apnea. Experts recommend sleeping on your right side to prevent these risks and open up your airways while sleeping.

If you are a side sleeper for the sake of your health but often find that you wake up in pain, the SONU Sleep System will certainly help. Made specifically with side sleepers, the SONU mattress helps relieve pain and pressure with sink-in support, a plush top layer of serene foam, and the patented Comfort Channel.

How Does Sleep Benefit Your Heart?

We all know that maintaining healthy eating, getting enough exercise, stressing less, and having regular checkups with your doctor are essential for heart health. Getting enough sleep is equally important as any of those things.

Ideally, we should aim for seven hours of sleep per night. A lot of people simply are not doing that, which puts their hearts at risk. Between 50 million and 70 million adults in the United States have sleep issues.

If you frequently do not get enough sleep, you put yourself at risk for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Here are some more issues you’re at risk for, which affect your heart.

Heart Disease

As mentioned, people with sleep apnea are at risk for heart issues. Insomnia can lead to coronary artery disease and plaque buildup. And that’s not all.

Neurological sleep disorders can increase your risk of heart disease. And if you have type 1 narcolepsy, your blood pressure will remain stagnant when you sleep instead of lowering it. This is also a risk for developing heart disease.

Heart Attack

If you sleep for short periods or oversleep, you could be at risk for a heart attack.

Stroke

Similarly, not getting enough sleep or getting too much can put you at risk for a stroke. It could even lead to your death. Plaque in the blood vessels and blood clots can lead to a stroke, and the clots can cause blood flow to stop pumping to the heart.

Obesity

People who don’t sleep enough often struggle with their weight. Consuming more fatty foods and not getting enough sleep inevitably put your heart at risk.

Inflammation

Although researchers are not entirely clear how inflammation can lead to a heart attack, there is a connection. Many heart attack patients are found to have inflammation. Specifically, they show a fatty buildup in their blood vessels.

Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes could eventually suffer from a heart attack. This is because the high blood sugar levels from type 2 diabetes cause triglycerides and cholesterol to increase, which can damage blood vessels.

Not getting enough sleep can lead to any of these conditions. If you have experienced any of them, talk to your doctor to create a recovery plan for your health. The last thing you want to do is damage your heart.

What Are Other Beneficial Sleeping Positions?

If you are not able to sleep on your side, there are a few other positions you can explore that provide health benefits. No matter what sleeping position you opt for, the SONU Sleep System can help you enjoy a better night’s rest.

The SONU mattress features a plush top layer of serene foam that offers sink-in support and cooling technology. The mattress itself is made from a combination of top-quality foams, working to help reduce motion transfer, align your spine, and help you achieve an unforgettable sleep experience.

Back Sleeping

Sleeping on your back might help if you experience neck pain, spine issues, or lower back pain. (Some experts recommend side sleep for these conditions.) If the pain is in your lower back, adding a lumbar pillow can help. You can even put a pillow under your knees to remove pressure from your lower body, like your hips.

If you’re concerned about wrinkles, sleeping on your back is best. In other positions, your face is pressed against a pillow, creating creases in your face that are noticeable the next day. Over time, these creases can cause wrinkles to develop.

If you experience nasal congestion, sleeping on your back with your head elevated allows you to breathe easier. It will help keep your nostrils open and allow your nose to drain if need be.

Stomach Sleeping

Sleeping on the stomach is the least popular position. However, it does have at least one benefit. Stomach sleeping is good for snorers because it opens their airways when they sleep.

How Else Can I Protect My Heart?

We’ve mentioned diet a lot in this article because it is a key component of heart health. Maybe you want to eat healthy but don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’re already a healthy eater, but want to discover other options. Either way, here are the foods you should eat to have a healthy heart.

Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are great for preventing cardiovascular disease. They’re excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, and some are even high in fiber.

Not all fruit and vegetables are created equal. When selecting which to eat for heart health, go with the following:

Apples
Assorted berries
Carrots
Broccoli
Kale
Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Brussel sprouts
Garlic
Onions

Healthy Fats

Yes, there is such a thing as healthy fats. Eating them is good for preventing coronary artery disease and lowering your blood pressure. Eating healthy fats lowers your risk for heart attack.

Wondering which healthy fats to buy? Here are a few:

Avocados
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Nuts
Seeds
Canola oil

Protein

Protein works wonders. It can help keep you alert during the workday and fill you up when you need to eat something light. Low-fat proteins, in particular, are an excellent food group for your heart.

These are the best proteins for your heart:

Eggs
Fish
Skim or low-fat milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Skinless chicken
Soy
Legumes
Lean ground meat

Whole Grains

Whole grains contain fiber, which is essential for digestion. They also help regulate your blood pressure. Here are the whole grains you should eat for heart health:

Barley
Quinoa
Farro
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Oatmeal
Whole-grain pasta
Whole-wheat bread
Whole-grain bread

What Foods Should I Avoid?

After looking at this list, you might wonder what foods to avoid. Besides the obvious like foods high in sugar or fat, here are some not-so obvious ones you should avoid if you want to protect your heart:

Cornbread
Egg noodles
Non-dairy creamers
Hydrogenated margarine
Coconut oil
Organ meats
Table salt
Canned soups
Condiments like ketchup and mayo
Tomato juice

How Else Can I Protect My Heart?

Here are some unique ways to reduce your risk for heart attacks or other heart issues, according to AARP.

Stretching

When you think of stretching, you might think of yoga. That’s not exactly what we mean by stretching in this context. To protect your heart, doing some basic stretches is enough to help prevent a heart attack.

If you’re worried about damaging your arteries, doing some simple stretches can help prevent that damage by increasing blood flow. For people with limited mobility, stretching can improve their vascular health.

Practicing Tai Chi

Tai chi, the exercise that uses slow, meditative moments, has been shown to lower blood pressure in some people. Tai chi is also good for decreasing body mass index (BMI) in people with diabetes.

Anyone suffering from stress can also benefit from tai chi. By helping people calm down, tai chi helps improve heart health.

Taking a Hot Bath

Did this one surprise you? We were certainly surprised to learn that taking a hot bath every day helps lower your blood pressure. Baths are also great stress relievers.

Filtering Your Coffee

Coffee isn’t just a delicious drink; it can increase your longevity. If you drink one to four cups of filtered coffee every day, you are less likely to suffer from heart disorders than people who either don’t drink coffee or drink it unfiltered. Filtering coffee removes oils that can increase cholesterol.

Conclusion

You and you alone are responsible for keeping your heart healthy. What you eat, how you move, and how you sleep all have an impact on heart health. If you suffer from heartburn, are at risk for a heart attack, or are concerned about other heart issues, you need to take your sleeping position into account.

Which side you sleep on for heart health is conditional. Before you pick the wrong sleep position, ask an expert, like a doctor, which position they recommend that you sleep in for your health.

SONU Sleep cares about all of your health concerns. That’s why SONU invented a mattress for side sleepers that is breathable, cooling, and comfortable. It’s made of premium materials like latex, memory foam, and high-resilience foams wrapped up in serene foam.

You don’t want to miss this one. Upgrade to a SONU mattress today.

Sources

How to Sleep Better with Heartburn | Sleep Foundation

Five Ways to Sleep Well and Protect Your Heart | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Inflammation and Heart Disease | American Heart Association

What Are the Best Positions for Sleeping? | Sleep Foundation

Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease | Mayo Clinic

What sleeping position helps the heart?

Similarly, sleeping on your left side, specifically, could help the flow of blood to your heart. 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.

Does the way you sleep affect your heart?

Insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Over time, poor sleep can also lead to unhealthy habits that can hurt your heart, including higher stress levels, less motivation to be physically active, and unhealthy food choices. For better sleep, get enough natural light, especially earlier in the day.