Everybody sleeps, some more than others.
In general, sleep takes up between 25%-35% of our lives -- and many of us, especially as we get older, rarely change position very drastically during our sleep. It is normal to shift a bit in your sleep, but often times, the position you fall asleep in is the position you wake up in.
There is research to say that if you sleep on your back, your face, your right side or your left side, you may be at risk for worsening different medical conditions. I became interested when I realized I was consistently sleeping on my left side, and wondered how that affected my body’s health.
To be honest, this is not something we are taught commonly in medical school and it took a little bit of research. So, I talked it over with a sleep medicine specialist at Henry Ford Health, and there are a number of conditions where your sleep position can be very important.
According to the sleep specialist that I talked to, there are concerns for people with sleep apnea, heart disease, back pain, acid reflux and even cosmetic considerations, if you want to avoid wrinkles. I will just tell you ahead of time: My tendency to sleep on my left side might be helping with the fact that I eat meals later in the evening and might be prone to reflux.
We’ll be live at 5:45 p.m. Thursday on Local 4 and Local 4+ to share what we learned -- be sure to tune in, or stream live right here on ClickOnDetroit. Hopefully this story can help you figure out whether your sleep position is the healthiest for you!
Just curious: What position do you normally sleep in? Tell us in the poll below!