Recent research has revealed the important role of body position while sleeping for improving its quality and overall health, as well as reducing the frequency of nightly awakenings and snoring. Researchers developed a flexible sensor system for monitoring sleep and its phases. The system consists of a flexible angular sensor and a motion sensor on 6 axes. It was tested on 13 healthy subjects (7 men and 6 women) over 15 nights. Participants wore a device used to track sleep on their wrist, and also responded to questionnaires for assessing sleep quality, while not having any sleep disorders.
The results showed that the preferred specific body position and the frequency of turns significantly influence the quality of sleep. People sleeping on their right side had fewer awakenings, which led to an improvement in their sleep. The study also confirmed that those who moved less while sleeping experienced better rest.
Experts pointed out that the left side position may be the best choice for certain healthy conditions, such as pregnancy or gastroesophageal reflux, as it helps improve blood flow to the heart, liver, kidneys, and uterus, and reduces pressure on the liver. However, sleeping on the back may increase the likelihood of snoring due to tongue obstruction and breathing difficulties, while sleeping on one of the sides helps maintain open airways, which reduces the risk of snoring and apnea during sleep.
The study emphasized the lifelong importance of sleep in improving overall health. Good sleep is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, and chronic atherosclerosis. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, disruption of glucose regulation, negatively affecting memory and decision-making.
