What Your Sleeping Position Says About Your Health
When it comes to resting our bones and joints, sleeping on your back is often recommended as the best posture. However, controlling your sleeping position is not always within our conscious control.
Even if you fall asleep on your back, your body often finds its way to the position it prefers during sleep.
For children, despite constant reminders to sleep in a specific position, they tend to utilize the entire bed, often kicking their co-sleepers in the process.
According to the Dongui Bogam and other classical texts, your sleeping position can reveal the state of your internal organs. People who can only fall asleep while lying on their stomachs possess certain characteristics.
Internal State of Those Who Sleep on Their Stomach
Sleeping on your stomach means that your heart and lungs are being compressed by your body weight.
Needing to compress your heart and lungs to feel comfortable suggests that these organs may be relatively emptier compared to other organs.
In traditional Korean medicine, this is referred to as a deficiency in the qi (energy) of the heart and lungs.
Having a deficiency in qi is not inherently bad. If a habit of sleeping on your stomach develops due to temporary poor health, it will likely revert to a more neutral sleeping position once health is restored through treatment.
Some individuals prefer sleeping on their stomachs from birth, indicating a natural tendency for weaker heart and lung function.
These individuals often have stronger liver and kidney functions.
The Ideal Sleeping Position
Sleep is a time to resolve the contradictions and imbalances accumulated in your body throughout the day.
People with weak heart and lung functions need to minimize feelings of deficiency and depletion to rest comfortably. Sleeping on the stomach helps ensure that qi and blood are sufficiently supplied to the heart and lungs.
In traditional Korean medicine, the ideal sleeping position is lying on your right side. This position allows the liver to be at the bottom.
This position is beneficial because blood is drawn to the liver, enabling it to detoxify the blood during sleep.
The liver is considered the home of the blood, and sleeping on your right side helps the blood return to its proper place.
Another advantage of this position is that it prevents blood from pooling in the heart, allowing the heart to rest adequately.
Your Sleeping Position Can Change
Your sleeping position can change daily based on various factors such as the situation, season, and sleep environment.
It’s rare to sleep in the same position without moving throughout the night. While it is important to maintain a good sleep environment, observing your sleeping position and habits can provide insights into your body’s condition and imbalances.
By understanding and adjusting your sleeping habits, you can better address your body’s needs and improve your overall health.
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For the original Korean text, visit here.
If you’re curious about the basics of traditional Korean medicine and health, read the following article:
Learn Why Studying JangSang Medicine is Important.
Frequently Asked but Silly Questions (Foods Good for the Liver??)
Thank you for reading.
