Sleeping on the left side oppresses the heart?
The heart is not so fragile, it does not care where you sleep
Intern reporter Dai Xiaopei
Presumably in your daily life, you must have heard this statement-because the heart is on the left side, you must not sleep on the left side, otherwise it will oppress the heart. Regarding the pros and cons of various sleeping positions, different people also have different views. Some people think that the right side is good, others think that the supine position is good, and some people vote for support when lying down.
Sleeping to the left does not affect the heart as much as running
"There is no scientific basis for saying that sleeping to the left will oppress the heart." Yang Hongxia, deputy chief physician of the Department of Special Needs Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, said in an interview with a reporter from the Science and Technology Daily.
"In different postures, our body's blood will be redistributed. For example, when standing, due to gravity, a large part of the blood is concentrated in the lower limbs. When lying down, the blood stored in the lower limbs returns to the heart. It will increase and increase the burden on the heart. If you sleep on the left side, the heart will be lower, and the amount of blood returned will be more. "Yang Hongxia explained that for heart failure patients, the burden on the heart will be heavier and will appear. Breathlessness and other uncomfortable feelings. The heart function of most patients with heart failure is at the end stage, and the systolic and diastolic function is not good. A little wind and grass may affect the heart.
"But for people with normal heart function, the left side lying position has a negligible impact on the heart." Yang Hongxia said that when we run or go up the stairs, the load on the heart is much greater than that on the left. Heart effects. Moreover, when sleeping, the person does not maintain one posture unchanged, and will switch between different postures.
Rhinitis, pregnancy and other special situations are recommended to lie on the side
Lying flat is considered to be a posture suitable for most people. When taking this sleeping position, the muscles of the back and neck are in a relaxed state, and there is no pressure on the spine, which is conducive to falling asleep. Li Yun, director of the Sleep Medicine Center of Shantou University School of Medicine, told Sci-Tech Daily that some special people are more suitable for lying on their sides. "If snoring is more serious, or there are respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and rhinitis, it is generally recommended to use the lateral position in order to reduce the symptoms.
In response, Yang Hongxia also explained: "People who snore use the lateral position when sleeping. This is correct. Air enters the lungs through the nose, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. If the pharynx and nose are affected by rhinitis, Hypertrophy of the turbinate causes airway narrowing, and snoring is more likely to occur when air enters these narrow areas. In addition, the airway of the pharynx is at the base of the tongue, and the tongue muscles are relaxed when sleeping. Under the action, it will fall back, which will narrow the pharynx and make it easier to snore. Therefore, the lateral position can relieve this symptom. "
Experts said that for patients with neck and back problems, lateral spine extension to a certain extent can relieve back pain. "By sleeping on the left side and raising the upper body, patients with gastroesophageal reflux can make the esophagus higher than the stomach, and the stomach acid is not easy to reflux." Li Yun said.
In addition, doctors generally recommend that pregnant women sleep toward the left. Experts say that this sleeping position can turn the right-handed uterus into a straight position, thereby reducing the risk of abnormal fetal position and childbirth, and also avoiding the uterine compression of the inferior vena cava. The amount of blood perfusion in the uterus and placenta.