BY AMY MACLIN
Can reduce lower back, shoulder, and neck pain. “This position helps keep the back and neck in alignment,” says Devin Burke, author of The Sleep Advantage. For more back pain relief, try placing a pillow under your knees.
May soothe dry eyes. Lying on your back means less pressure on the glands that help make tears.
Could help prevent wrinkles. This is more of a vanity issue, but still: When we lie on our backs, our skin is smooth. Side and stomach sleeping can cause compression that may lead to wrinkles.
May improve sleep apnea. Side sleeping helps keep our airways open for easier breathing; back sleeping causes the upper airway muscles to relax, restricting oxygen and worsening obstructive sleep apnea, says Abhinav Singh, MD, director of the Indiana Sleep Center and a medical review expert for SleepFoundation.org.
Can ease digestive issues and heartburn. According to a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, lying on your left may clear excess stomach acid more efficiently.
Could possibly prevent Alzheimer’s. Though more research is needed, a 2015 study indicates that side sleeping may most effectively remove waste from the brain, which contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.
There’s good news and bad news: Stomach sleeping can reduce snoring and some apnea, but it can also cause neck and back strain.
Even if you pound probiotics and eat plenty of fiber, digestion isn’t always smooth sailing. Whether you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or just feel a little bloated, gassy, or crampy, a 10-minute tummy massage can get things moving through your system. Nutritionist Kate Scarlata, RDN, and health psychologist Megan Riehl, PsyD, who both specialize in gastrointestinal disorders, recommend the I Love You method, in which you gently trace the letters I, L, and U on your abs, following the path of the large intestine. Try this tutorial from their new book, Mind Your Gut: The Science-Based Whole-Body Guide to Living Well with IBS, out this month.
Lie face up on the floor or a firm mattress.
Put both hands on the left side of your abdomen, below the ribs. Using light pressure, make small circles with your fingertips, moving in a straight line down toward your left hip. (This is the letter I.)
Next, still making small circles, work from the right side of your upper abdomen down along the ribs and across the bottom of the ribs toward the left side. (This is the letter L.)
Now start at the bottom right side of your abdomen, near the hip, and make those circles up the right side, across the lower ribs, and down the left side, gently creating a U. Keep it up for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you feel relief. —A.M.
Illustration by Abbey Lossing