Sleeping on your right side could be harming your digestive health – expert

Dr Zoe explains the causes and symptoms of acid reflux

Whether you sleep on your tummy or on your left side, the choice of a sleeping position is usually dictated by habit and comfort.

However, the way you slumber for hours each night could have implications beyond restored energy levels.

Ali Ramadan, an expert in health and nutrition, took to his TikTok to explain how different sleeping positions could be affecting your health.

Ramadan penned: “Do you sleep on the left side? There are benefits to both right-side sleeping and left-side sleeping.”

If acid reflux and problems with digestive health sound more familiar than you’d like, it might be time to switch up your sleeping positions.

READ MORE Acid reflux diet: Six foods and drinks to avoid

The expert said: “The research shows it is better for digestive health to sleep on the left side.

“When we sleep on the left side, the stomach and its gastric juices remain lower than the oesophagus thus reducing heartburn and digestive upsets.”

What’s more, Ramadan isn’t the only one to point out the benefits and risks of sleeping on your side for digestive health.

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@holisticali

Do you sleep on the left side? There are benefits to both right side sleeping and left side sleeping. The research shows it is better for digestive health to sleep on the left side, and for those who have heart failure it is better to sleep on the right side.Sources: https://www.dovepress.com/sleep-positions-and-nocturnal-body-movements-based-on-free-living-acce-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NSS https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/410292 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12801953/ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000559.htm https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12801953/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10445529/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26835867/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8071510/ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleeping-positions/side-sleeping https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/sleep-effects-digestion https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19110135/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12535814/

♬ original sound – Ali Ramadan

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Martin Seeley, Sleep Expert and CEO of Mattressnextday, explained that sleeping on the right side could increase your risk of stomach acid flowing back into the oesophagus.

This could spell bad news for heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) sufferers.

Fortunately, sleeping on your left side can provide relief.

Seeley told Glamour: “Sleeping on your left side can promote better digestion.

“It allows gravity to facilitate the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine, which can aid in proper digestion and reduce the likelihood of acid reflux or heartburn.

“This position helps keep the stomach lower than the oesophagus, reducing the chances of stomach acid flowing back into the oesophagus.”

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