A good night’s sleep helps one recover– both physically and mentally– after a long and tiring day. Sleep also has many benefits– it restores energy, boosts immunity, improves mental clarity, focus, and memory, regulates hormones, supports heart health, and reduces stress and inflammation. A 2018 study titled ‘Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease: Emerging Opportunities for Psychology’ reads, ‘Sleep plays a key role in both the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Specifically, short sleep duration and insomnia, alone or in combination, are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, after adjusting for other key risk factors. Inflammation, ANS dysfunction, and metabolic dysfunction represent plausible physiological mechanisms through which disturbed sleep affects CVD. Sleeping on your left side, also called the left lateral position, may help reduce acid reflux and thus be helpful for heart patients. Since gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is linked to higher risks of heart problems– like coronary heart disease– minimizing acid reflux can help support heart health. Lying position classification based on ECG waveform and random forest” further highlighted that he heart is more stable and ECG changes are minimal in a person when they sleep on their right side. Sleeping on the back, also called the supine position, is generally not advised for heart patients as it can lead to airway obstruction, thus adversely affecting people with sleep apnea. This could lead to decreased oxygen levels during sleep, which can be fatal in certain cases. People who have heart issues are generally discouraged from sleeping on their stomachs. While it isn’t directly linked to heart attacks, this position can lead to difficulty in breathing and even put pressure on the spine, thus indirectly affecting one’s cardiovascular health. According to Healthline, sleeping on the stomach can also negatively impact the spinal alignment, which can cause neck pain and discomfort, thus disrupting one’s sleep, which is important for maintaining good heart health.
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