Is it Good to Sleep with your Head Elevated? (Know the Alarming Fact)

The posture of one’s head is one of the concerns that many have. In this article, we’ll look at whether sleeping with your head up is beneficial or unsafe. 

So, is it good to sleep with your head elevated?

Well, most people find it comfortable while sleeping inclined. It’s good enough to sleep with your head elevated. It won’t give you any serious trouble in the long run. Especially people who struggle with breathing while sleeping should keep their heads elevated at the time of sleeping.

By sleeping with your head up, you can assist your breath move through your airway more easily, making it simpler to breathe.

Is it Good to Sleep with your Head Elevated
Is it good to sleep with your head elevated?

Is it good to sleep with your head elevated?

The answer to this question is yes. Primarily sleeping with your head upwards is not harmful. By relieving pressure points, opening nostrils, and boosting circulation, raising the upper and lower body can help you sleep better.

Falling asleep with the head elevated is beneficial for such sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, acid reflux as we will see later in this article.


How much should you elevate your head while sleeping?

According to most research, a bedhead elevation of at least 6-8 inches is optimum (15-20 centimeters). When lying down, this height has been shown to prevent acid reflux. In fact, the higher the elevation, the better. You must, however, be able to sleep pleasantly.

During sleep, adjustable beds, including customized mattresses, can raise the head above the body. The angle may be different in degree, however, most people who require it will benefit from lifting their heads 20 to 30 degrees.


Should You Sleep With Your Head Elevated When Sick?

If you are having a sore throat and suffering from a cold keeping your head up at night will help prevent mucus from accumulating in your sinuses. It can also help with sinus pressure relief. Lie on your back and prop yourself up with an extra pillow so that your head is at a small angle to the rest of your body.

Should You Sleep With Your Head Elevated When Sick?

But remember not to sleep on your back. To avoid nasal congestion, try to sleep on your side and prop up your pillow so you’re sleeping at a little angle.


How to sleep with your head elevated after surgery?

During the first week after surgery, you should sleep with your head raised in a recliner or with at least one or two pillows. For about two weeks, try sleeping with the back of your head on the pillow rather than the side of your face.

We suggest that you sleep with your head as well as shoulders supported up above your heart level after oral surgery. Add a couple of extra pillows to your bed or the area where you’ll be sleeping. This is also a fantastic method to keep your head raised if you have a recliner.

Lying straight on your back is one of the healthiest ways to sleep after surgery. This posture will be most beneficial to you if you have had operations on your legs, hips, backbone, or arms. Furthermore, placing a pillow beneath your body parts provides additional support and comfort.


Is it better to sleep with your head or feet elevated?

Many people find their legs swollen after a day of work so they can just relax and put their legs up. Sleeping in a similar position could be beneficial to our health.

Is it better to sleep with your head or feet elevated
Is it better to sleep with your head or feet elevated?

Putting your feet up relieves strain on your veins, especially if you’ve been standing or sitting for an extended time. Additionally, rather than forcing your cardiovascular system to function against gravity while pushing blood up to the heart, elevating your feet is thought to enhance blood flow.

Sleeping with legs elevated has multiple benefits such as relieving back pain, reducing the chance of getting edema pain, improving blood circulation, and spine alignment. You can take 1 or two pillows or folded blankets to elevate your legs while sleeping to make the most of this sleeping position.

Elevating your legs can help you get a better night’s sleep. More blood can flow to such places when your legs are slightly lifted.

It can also help to relieve lower back pain. Elevating your legs can help relieve symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome because less pressure on sensitive nerves in the legs calms them down, minimizing the unpleasant sensation.


Benefits of Sleeping with Head Elevated

Having slept with an elevated head has been shown to have many health benefits and provide you the rest that your body badly needs after a day of work. Many people find that elevating their legs at the same time helps them to get superior sleep.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the most important health benefits of this sleeping position, as well as how it might benefit you.

Benefits of Sleeping with Head Elevated

1. Reduce sleep apnea

Medical professionals usually advise against lying down on your back in the reclined position. Gravity presses down on your throat, tongue, and soft palate while you sleep face up, potentially blocking your airways and increasing breathing problems.

While you’re sleeping, an EVA foam cushion, strong sleep apnea pillows, bed raiser, or recliner can assist open up your throat and allow for greater airflow.

2. Mouth Breathing Is Reduced

If your mouth is dry when you wake up, you were probably mouth breathing while sleeping. Due to nasal obstruction (such as when you have congestion), nasal edema, or just habit, your mouth may open automatically as you sleep.

Mouth breathing is linked to a reduction in lung function, which can have an impact on the quality of your sleep. It can also dry out your gums, making cavities, plaque, and gum disease more likely.

Sleeping on an incline, on the other hand, can benefit because it opens up your airways, making inhalation through your nose much simpler.

3. Prevent post-nasal drip

Every day, the body produces around a quart of mucus. Most people don’t even notice it, but those who suffer from post-nasal drip will as they struggle with the familiar flow down the back of their throat. Post-nasal drip can disrupt your sleep by causing you to start waking up coughing and choking as you attempt to clear the mucus from your throat.

Mucus can collect in the back of the throat when you lie flat. Keeping the head up, on either hand, can help to relieve post-nasal drip since the mucus will not be pulled down by gravity.

4. Stop snoring while sleeping with an elevated head

Snoring differs from sleep apnea in a few ways. While the airways are not completely shut, they are significantly obstructed. Gravity can restrict airways during sleep. Snoring is a sound produced by air flowing through air ducts vibrating.

Snoring is not as serious as sleep apnea, but if left untreated, it can cause sleep apnea. Sleeping on a wedge cushion or an adjustable bed foundation also helps to open up airways for increased oxygen intake.

“Avoiding the reclining position can minimize snoring in most regular snorers,” as shown in a 2020 study. Snoring was successfully minimized in 22% of those who slept at a 10-degree inclination and eliminated in 67% of those who slept at a 20-degree elevation, according to the findings.

5. Relief from heartburn

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a gastro condition that affects the muscle ring that connects your esophagus and stomach. Heartburn or acid reflux are common symptoms of GERD, and if they occur at night, it can be difficult to sleep.

Heartburn or acid reflux symptoms should be relieved by raising your torso so that your upper body is lifted. Because of gravity’s pull, stomach acid should have a harder time creeping the pharynx to the stomach, reducing acid reflux symptoms.

6.  Relief from migraine pain

Sleeping flat on your back might put additional stress on your head, producing congestion in the brain. When this happens, oxygen levels drop and blood arteries constrict, increasing pressure on the brain to purge it of old fluid.

In certain studies, sleeping with your head slightly lifted in a semi-recumbent position has been reported to relieve over 60% of migraines. If you experience these symptoms consistently, an adjustable bed could be a great solution.

7. COPD Symptoms Are Reduced

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term that encompasses several conditions, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD patients have respiratory difficulties, especially while sleeping. COPD patients typically have diseased or large lungs, which flatten their abdomen, making breathing more difficult.

Other sleep-related symptoms include respiratory infection, chest pain, and repeated overnight urination. COPD with sleep apnea affects a large number of patients.

8. Improves blood circulation

With a customizable bed, you can elevate your head and legs by putting the base in a zero-gravity position. Increased blood flow to your heart is possible in this position. The heart beats faster to allow blood to reach places farther away from the heart, such as the legs.

Veins constrict more effectively while you sleep in a zero-gravity position. This can also aid those with varicose veins by ensuring that blood is distributed evenly throughout the body.

9. Reduce the appearance of dark circles

When you sleep on your stomach or side, fluid can collect around your face and eyes, causing bloating and dark circles. Using an adjustable bed, cushion wedge, or pillows to prop oneself up will assist fluid drain out of your face and spread evenly throughout the rest of your body. This easy method may aid in the reduction of dark circles under the eyes and swollen skin on the face.

There are various techniques to lift your head while sleeping. The following are some of the most reliable and basic methods:

  • Using a bed that can be adjusted.
  •  Using wedges made of foam.
  •  Adding one more pillow.
  • Positioning risers or blocks under the legs of your bed on the head area.

So, what is the appropriate elevation level? Well, temperatures between 10 and 30 degrees should suffice. The general rule is to make yourself as comfortable as possible


Conclusion:

Sleeping with your head elevated not only improves the quality of sleep but also can prevent you from many health issues. So you can opt for adjustable beds. An adjustable platform, which can be used with any mattress type, allows you to instantly and easily alter the height of your head and feet, reducing chronic pain and allowing you to enjoy your sleep.

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