Dr Amir shares the ‘best’ sleeping positions for your health

Once you crawl into bed after a long day, you probably gravitate to a sleeping position that feels the most comfortable.

However, certain sleeping arrangements could spell bad news depending on your underlying health problems.

Fortunately, Dr Amir Khan tested out different positions to see who can benefit from what.

Speaking on ITV’s show Lorraine, he said: “I’ve been trying out different positions in the bedroom in terms of the best ways to sleep.”

While each placement offers both pros and cons, your health issues could help you choose the best one for you.

Lying on your back

If you suffer from nasal congestion and lower back pain, then this position could be the perfect fit.

Dr Amir said: “What I would say is lying on your back is good if you’ve got nasal congestion, it’s good for babies as well, and it’s good if you’ve got lower back pain.

“It’s not particularly good if you are in the late stages of pregnancy because it can reduce the blood flow to the baby.”

Lying on your left-hand side

When we sleep on the left side, the stomach and its gastric juices remain lower than the oesophagus, reducing your risk of heartburn and digestive upsets, making this pose the best one for those with acid reflux.

“[However, it’s] not good if you’ve got an existing heart condition which can affect the rhythm of your heart and increase breathlessness,” Dr Amir said.

Lying on your right-hand side

Switching from left to right means that your heartburn will suffer but your heart will rejoice.

Dr Amir said: “Lying on your right-hand side [is] better for your heart [but] not good if you’ve got acid reflux.”

Sleeping in this position could increase your risk of stomach acid flowing back into the oesophagus, spelling bad news for heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) sufferers.

Lying on your front

This one is the ideal sleeping arrangement for people who struggle with snoring.

“Lying on your front [is] not good if you’ve got lower back pain or neck pain but better if you snore,” Dr Amir said.

Starfish

Sleeping on your back with your arms positioned away from the body and turned upward could help ease a pesky menopause symptom.

Dr Amir added: “Starfish – everybody’s favourite position – [is] better if you’ve got hot flushes; it gets rid of heat.”