Matthew Edlund, MD
Matthew Edlund, MD, sleep, biological clocks, performance and rest expert, and author of The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough (HarperOne). He is director of the Center for Circadian Medicine, Sarasota, Florida.
Let’s talk about what position you like in bed… for sleep, I mean. Your habit of sleeping on your back or your belly, or even your left or right side, has important implications for your health, says Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH, author of The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough. For example, people who spend most or all of the night on their backs tend to snore more and are most likely to develop sleep apnea, while those who sleep on their right sides may experience more heartburn than those who sleep on their left sides.
I’m not suggesting that any sleep position is inherently bad for everyone — if you sleep well and have no medical issues, that’s fine, notes Dr. Edlund. But if you have health concerns, most particularly daytime fatigue (which can be a sign of sleep apnea, especially in people who snore) or heartburn, you may benefit from changing your sleep position. Dr. Edlund told me that generally speaking, sleeping on one’s side is best — which side is a question I will get to in a minute.
If you sleep on your back, you are more likely to be a snorer and also to have sleep apnea — brief suspensions of breathing when the tissue at the back of your throat temporarily blocks your airway. A clue:If your bed partner tells you that you seem to stop breathing for 10 or more seconds between snores, ask your doctor about being tested. Not only can apnea lead to daytime sleepiness and poor concentration, over time it raises your risk for serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart-rhythm disturbances, heart failure, stroke, decreased libido and insulin resistance. Sleeping on your side (either one) can help reduce sleep apnea.
It’s difficult to change your customary sleep position, but it can be done. For example, for a back sleeper, Dr. Edlund recommends trying the “tennis ball technique.” Sew a pocket into the lower back of a T-shirt and then sew or snap three tennis balls into the pocket. Wear the shirt to bed. When you roll over onto your back, the discomfort of the tennis balls will quickly send you back to your side. Eventually you may begin to sleep naturally on your side and not need the tennis balls, though this may take months. For those who can’t or don’t want to use tennis balls, the commercially available Zzoma Positional Sleeper (a belt with a foam attachment at the back that keeps you from rolling onto your back, available at www.ZzomaSleep.com, $99.95) is an option, albeit a more expensive one.
As many as one in four Americans suffers from nighttime heartburn or acid reflux, but what few people know is that this condition can be aggravated by sleeping on one’s right side. The reason: The stomach empties toward the right side, so lying down when a meal is still in the stomach causes premature movement of food into the small intestine. It takes two-and-a-half to three hours for the stomach to empty 50%, and four to five hours for it to empty completely. According to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, individuals who rested on their right sides for four hours after a high-fat meal had significantly greater reflux than those who rested on their left.
To control nocturnal acid discomfort, Dr. Edlund advises…
Also helpful: Avoid acid triggers such as large meals, spicy or fatty foods, carbonated drinks, chocolate, caffeine and alcohol… don’t wear clothing that constricts your waist… maintain an appropriate weight… don’t eat during the several hours before bedtime… and don’t smoke. And remember to chew your food slowly and thoroughly and drink fluids sparingly with meals — and if you can, stand or stroll after them.