By Lauren Evoy Davis 

 Medically reviewed by Sonal Kumar, MD

No matter what type of sleeper you are, your sleep position can affect how you digest food. While you're sleeping, your brain and body continue to work by digesting the food and drinks you consumed throughout the day. Both the foods you eat and your sleep position can affect the quality of sleep you're getting and the speed of digestion.

This article reviews ways to improve digestion by sleeping in the best position.

How Sleep Affects Digestion

During sleep, the digestive system is hard at work. On average, it can take anywhere from 30 to 72 hours to digest food, though it varies by person.1 Digestion time depends on the type of food, what you drank, and your metabolism (how your body converts food into energy).

When digestion is working as it should, you barely notice it. But if you have any issues like heartburn or constipation, you'll feel uncomfortable and possibly bloated.

Nutritional factors that may disrupt sleep include:2

• Eating too close to bedtime

• Overeating

• Consuming spicy foods

• Consuming alcohol or caffeinated drinks

• High-carbohydrate meals

Getting too little sleep can affect your gut. It can also result in a 40% increase in blood levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that slows the metabolism. It can also trigger an increase in hunger and cravings by 33%.3

How Does Sleep Affect Health?

Good quality sleep is essential for overall health. While you're asleep, your body is repairing. Babies, young children, and teens need adequate sleep to support growth and brain development. Adults need a little less sleep (most need at least seven hours per night). Lack of sleep has been linked to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and more.4

Sleep on the Left Side

Sleeping on the left side separates food and acid from the lower esophageal sphincter, which means less acid will back up into the esophagus.5

Sleeping on your left side may reduce the risk of heartburn and symptoms of indigestion.6

Heartburn is common in people who are pregnant.7 If you're pregnant, sleeping on your left side is recommended because it improves blood flow and kidney function and takes the pressure off your liver from the increasing weight of the uterus.8

Side Sleeping Benefits

There are some benefits to sleeping on your side. Left-side sleeping is recommended for people who have heartburn due to acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).5

Foods to Help You Sleep

Some foods and drinks that can help you sleep better include:9

• Malted milk

• Fatty fish

• Nuts

• Rice

• Kiwis

• Tart cherries and cherry juice

Avoid Back Sleeping

Back sleeping may be preferred by some people, but it's not the best position if you have heartburn due to GERD or acid reflux. Back sleeping allows acid to creep back up into the throat, causing a burning sensation and discomfort throughout the night.

The old adage "back to sleep" really only applies to babies, to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Most other people would benefit from side sleeping.

Additionally, if you have sleep apnea, a serious sleep condition that can affect your overall health, back sleeping may make it worse.10

Summary

What you eat and drink can affect your digestion during sleep. Your sleep position can also affect your digestion, alleviating or exacerbating conditions like heartburn. Side sleeping, particularly on your left side, is recommended to improve heartburn. A person can make other simple changes, like avoiding eating before bed, that can help digestion.

 Sources

MedlinePlus. Bowel transit time.

Sleep Foundation. Nutrition and sleep.

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. Sleep.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How does sleep affect your heart health?.

American Sleep Association. How to sleep with GERD.

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. Heartburn keeping you up at night? Try sleeping on your left side.

National Health Service. Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy.

Nemours Children's Health. Sleeping during pregnancy.

Sleep Foundation. The best foods to help you sleep.

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Choosing the best sleep position.