best nap time

Often times, you want to get some much-needed sleep. But, you find ourselves twisting and turning, thus you don't get enough sleep. There are many reasons for this. One of the things that affect your sleep is the position you sleep in. We will discuss some clinical proofs on what's the best side to sleep on. The sleeping position is how you align and orient you are sleeping.

Here's a video explaining the clinical proofs on what’s the best side to sleep on:

Your Sleeping Position Is Very Important to Getting Solid Rest

There are many positions to which one can sleep. There are several arguments and clinical proofs on what's the best side to sleep On. Those arguments can often leave you confused on how you should position yourself in bed.

It is often true that sleeping positions are personal and depends on the individual. But, there are also positions advised by professionals that you should keep in mind. There has been much research on the best side or position to sleep in.

Hence, one question persists – what do clinical proofs say about what is the best side to sleep on? The most important thing above all others is your comfort when you are sleeping.

Despite this, there has been a lot of research that advises us to sleep on our left side. There are many reasons why professionals advise to sleep on our left side, of which we will explore below. All explanations are backed by scientific research.

Benefits of Sleeping on Your Left Side

Relieves Back and Neck Pain

Sleeping on your left side relieve pressure on the spine. This is unlike sleeping on your stomach, which is difficult on your spine. When you are sleeping on your stomach, you curve your neck is to the side, and you arch your back awkwardly.

Given all this information, sleeping on your left side avoid back and neck pains. This is particularly important for people who already suffer from back pains and other body aches. Moreover, you should also consider getting the best mattress to get the highest quality of sleep.

Helps Combat Snoring

Snoring happens when your sleeping position blocks your airways. You can prevent snoring when you sleep on your left side. This position keeps the airways open by keeping your throat and tongue muscles from obscuring your breathing. This is unlike other sleeping positions, such as sleeping on your back, which can be perilous to you.

Whenever you sleep on your back, you push your throat and tongue muscles towards the rear of your throat, hence the snoring noises. Avoiding sleeping on your back and lying on your left side is an ideal solution.

Helps Battle Obstructive Sleeping Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder where a person's breathing stops when asleep.

People suffering from sleep apnea can stop breathing over a hundred times during their sleep. This is very dangerous as it can lead to death in very severe cases. Avoiding sleeping on your back helps to keep your airways clear, so battling obstructive sleeping apnea.

Helps Pregnant Women

Sleeping on your left side helps to boost blood circulation all throughout the body. This is particularly good for pregnant women to increase the flow of blood to the fetus, uterus and the kidneys. This blood flow is not only good for the pregnant women but provides enough oxygen to the baby.

Also, professionals discussed clinical proofs on what's the best side to sleep on. They noted that sleeping on the left reliefs the back. This prevents the uterus from compressing and applying pressure on the liver.

Great for the Heart

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. Sleeping on your left side works wonders for your heart.

The reason for this is that the pull of gravity helps promote the drainage of the lymph towards the heart. The aortic circulation is also aided by gravity pulling away from the heart. According to a medical expert, Doctor John Douillard, this process makes the role of the heart much easier.

Helps to Reduce Stomach Reflux

Sleeping on your left side is advised if you want to prevent stomach acid reflux.

Sleeping on your left side can ease gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD occurs when juice from the stomach leaves the sphincter. This can lead to the inflammation of the food pipe and other symptoms.

Research given by the Jama Network revealed an improvement and ease of symptoms in GERD in people sleeping on their left side. These clinical proofs on what's the best side to sleep on are on our left side.

Furthermore, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) found that it's more favorable to sleep on your left side.

Clinical Proofs on What's the Best Side to Sleep On: Sleeping on Your Left

As you can see, there are various clinical proofs that support sleeping on your left side. Not only does this sleeping position help battle neck pain, but it also eases snoring, sleep apnea and stomach reflux. This is the definitive side to sleep – remember that tonight!

As explained elsewhere on this site, sleep is essential to everyday function. But even after a full night of sleep, it is easy to reach a point of fatigue at some point in your day. Enter a power nap. How do you avoid waking up more sluggish than before your nap? The following tips will teach you how to take a successful power nap, making the most of your time while reaping all the benefits sleep has to offer.

1. Schedule for the afternoon

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Afternoon is the best time to take a power nap. If you have some flexibility in your schedule that allows you to choose when you take a nap, you will want to lay down at some point from 1pm-3 pm. Lying down too early can be ineffective as your body may not be tired enough for more sleep. And lying down too late could negatively influence your normal nightly sleep cycle.

2. Limit between 20-30 minutes

After setting aside time for a power nap between 1pm and 3pm, you should only allow yourself to rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. By extended your rest any longer, you start to enter a sleep cycle and will wake up feeling more tired than before. Staying in this range will provide the perfect supplement to your nightly sleep, particularly if you did not get enough the night before. You will awake feeling refreshed and ready to take on the rest of your day.

3. Set an alarm

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In order to keep yourself accountable to the 30 minute power nap limit, set an alarm. Not only will you be more likely to stick to the suggested amount of time, but you will have a more restful nap because you do not have to worry about self-regulation; you can fall asleep quicker and do not have to frequently check your clock.

4. Drink a cup of coffee

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Even though coffee would seem to prevent someone from taking a successful power nap, it helps you to feel more energized once your alarm goes off. You should drink a cup of coffee right before you lie down. Since the caffeine requires about 20 minutes to start affecting the body, it will kick in around the time you awake from your nap. The coffee will encourage you to arise from your slumber and feel energized enough to go about the rest of your day.

5. Watch what you eat

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While you may benefit from drinking a cup of coffee before your power nap, you should otherwise avoid eating food that is difficult to digest beforehand. The body struggles to digest dairy items, grains, and spicy foods, among other things, which could prevent you from falling asleep.

6. Grab a blanket

Even if you are comfortable at the moment you lie down, make sure you have a blanket at least within reach. Your body temperature decreases while sleeping, so you should prepare for such changes by either adjusting the room temperature or covering up. A soft blanket can also increase your comfort level, inducing sleep more quickly and making the experience all the more enjoyable.

7. Find a dark, quiet place

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Aside from maintaining a warm enough temperature, you should also work to create a positive power napping-environment by finding a dark, quiet place to rest. If multiple options are available, be selective in terms of your location as it is essential to the quality of your power nap. Make the room as dark as possible by drawing blinds, closing doors, or wearing an eye mask. In order to reduce noise, retreat to a place with little to no human distraction, turn off music/television, and insert ear plugs. Do not settle for a less than comfortable location; fully commit to your power nap by finding an environment which facilitates, rather than inhibits, your rest.

8. Enjoy your power nap!

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The final step to a successful power nap is to enjoy it. You should not feel guilty for setting aside half-an-hour of your day to recharge. To make the most of your time, try to calm your mind. Reduce your thoughts; avoid worrying about upcoming tasks or yesterday’s regrets. Clearing you mind induces sleep more quickly, ensuring that you receive the full 20-30 minutes of rest and all the consequential benefits.

In the end, you will have to test out these tips for yourself. Implement these into your power naps to determine which are helpful and eliminate those which are not. No matter what, make sleep a priority and use these tips in order to feel energized, rather than sluggish, after your power naps.

Clinical Proofs on What’s the Best Side to Sleep On