Best Sleep Position For Congestive Heart Failure

What The Experts Do Just Say No To Tv Binge

I have to remind myself, just like my patients, to make sleep a priority,says Johns Hopkins neurologist and sleep specialist Rachel E. Salas, M.D.Its so easy to say, Ill just catch up on some work for awhile or watcha TV-show-a-thon on my DVR.

She finds that the simple act of telling herself that sleep is importanthelps her choose it over other temptations. Also key for her: Beingconsistent about when she sleeps. I used to think I could make upfor sleep on the weekends, but doing that negatively impacts sleepquality, she says. Now she tries to have a consistent bedtime and wakingtime seven days a week.

Sleeping On Your Left Side

It turns out that sleeping on your left side can be a good sleeping position if you suffer from heartburn. A study from The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that those who slept on their left side were less likely to suffer heartburn problems. Gastroesophageal reflux disease affects many Americans, and can negatively impact the quality of your sleep by contributing to acid reflux and heartburn episodes.

So, if youre suffering from acid reflux at night and its getting in the way of your sleep, consider sleeping on your left side. If youre looking for additional help when it comes to sleeping with GERD, you can also explore solutions such as an acid reflux pillow, which keeps you in the best sleeping position to minimize acid reflux throughout the night. As always, speak to your doctor first about any potential solutions that may help improve your GERD.

Pros:

• Potentially places stress on your spine, hips, and/or lower back

Exercise For A Healthy Heart

Exercise is important. This is necessary for a healthy heart. Freehand exercises, isometric exercises are helpful.Exercising will also improve your sleep.

If you are suffering from heart disease or some chronic conditions, then you might be taking some medications.In that case, some medications might disturb your sleep. Dont worry, consult with your physician.

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Improves Blood Flow In Pregnant Women

Side sleeping is usually the only comfortable way a pregnant woman can sleep by her third trimester. Side sleeping is also the only recommended sleeping position after a woman reaches 20 weeks of pregnancy. The left side is generally favored over the right, as it increases blood flow to the fetus and improves the womans kidney function.

Tips For Sleeping Better

If shortness of breath keeps you awake, your healthcare team needs to know. Tell them if you cant lie flat or need to sleep propped up on pillows. Or tell them if you can only sleep sitting up in a chair or recliner. If nighttime shortness of breath gets worse, bring this to the teams attention. You may be accumulating fluid and need more diuretic medicine. If you have other sleep problems not related to shortness of breath, these tips may help:

• Do deep breathing in bed. This will relax you and help you fall asleep.

• Dont drink caffeine any later than noon.

• Try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day. This helps your body set up a sleep cycle.

• Avoid napping. This can affect your sleep cycle.

• Pull window shades down. If the room isnt dark enough, get blackout shades.

• Keep pets out of the bedroom if they bother you at night.

• Wear comfortable, loose pajamas. Pajamas that fit tightly may make you feel like it’s harder to breathe.

• If you take medicines at bedtime, talk with your healthcare provider about changing this. Certain medicines may be keeping you awake. Or they may cause you to wake up often to use the bathroom.

• Talk with your healthcare provider about taking over-the-counter sleep aids. Some OTC medicines can interact with your prescribed medicines. Or they may have salts in them that cause you to retain fluids.

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What Side Is Best For Gerd

Believe it or not, knowing the best side to sleep on may reduce your acid reflux symptoms. Sleeping on your right side can cause more acid to leak through your esophagus. Sleeping on your stomach or back makes GERD symptoms worse, too. To lower the risk of GERD problems, patients usually sleep best on their left sides.

Sleeping On Your Right Side

Lying on your right side may not be the best sleeping position, especially for your heart. This is according to sleep specialist W. Christopher Winter, MD, medical director of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, who spoke with CNN about the pros and cons of side sleeping.

Winter told CNN your blood flows throughout your body and eventually returns to the heart on the right side. But when you sleep on your right side, you place a significant amount of pressure upon the blood vessels responsible for transporting blood to your heart. However, significantly more research is needed to understand whether right side sleepers are at risk for cardiovascular impairment. Conversely, more work is needed to understand whether sleeping on your left side can actually improve the blood flow to your heart while you rest.

Pros:

• May feel comfortable for some people

Cons:

• Interferes with the blood flow to your heart
• Heartburn can occur more frequently

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Know The Best Sleeping Position For Heart Health

JAKARTA – Bad sleeping position affects health. Starting from making the back feel sore after waking up, the neck feels stiff, obstructed blood circulation to affect heart health.

In addition to paying attention to sleeping positions to maintain health, you also need to consider the types of nutritious foods that are consumed. What is a good position while sleeping? Well, consider the following explanation.

For those of you who often complain of sore backs and tense necks, sleeping on your back is a good position. This position relaxes the muscles in the neck, back, hips and heels. If you sleep in this position, the appearance of soreness after waking up is very small.

But this sleeping position is not good for GERD sufferers and those of you who have a snoring habit because the supine sleeping position makes it easier for stomach acid to move up the esophagus. This means that for those of you who have GERD tendencies, use a higher pile of pillows.

In order not to get sore quickly due to the high pile of pillows, change your sleeping position frequently. Meanwhile, for snorers, it is not only caused by breath but can indicate a condition of sleep apnea.

Although not everyone who snores because of their breath has sleep apnea, people with sleep apnea are more likely to experience heart disease.

For those of you who often snore, blood circulation is better and opens the airway so that the possibility of snoring is getting smaller.

Sleep On Your Right Side To Protect Your Heart

Data has shown that when people lie on their left side during sleep, the position of their heart shifts due to the pull of gravity. That causes changes in the hearts electrical activity that show up on electrocardiograms . When theyre sleeping on the right side, however, tissues and structures between the lungs hold the heart in place and ECGs remain normal.

Sleeping on the left side isnt a problem if you dont have underlying heart issues. But for people with congestive heart failure and other heart issues, it can cause discomfort and even breathing difficulties. If that sounds familiar, try turning to your right when you hit the sheets.

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When Should I Ask For Help

If you feel you need more support to support the patient, speak to their GP, cardiology team or specialist team.

Some parts of the country have specialist heart failure nurses who can be involved in a persons end of life care, so you may want to see if there is one covering your locality. They can visit people at home, in hospital or a hospice and give the person and their family support and guidance.

If the persons heart failure is due to an inherited heart condition such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, their family may have concerns about what the future holds for themselves. Give the family an opportunity to voice their worries and, if its appropriate, mention the possibility of referring immediate family members to a clinic which specialises in inherited heart conditions. This may be done when the person was initially diagnosed.

Inherited heart conditions services offer specialist assessment and investigations, genetic counselling and testing. GPs can refer to this service. Additionally signpost your patient to the British Heart Foundation Genetic Information Service , which offers information and support and helps with referrals.

Side Sleeping Is The Most Common At About 60%

Pros: The left side is best during pregnancy it increases circulation and lessens pressure, which is good for mother and baby. The left side is also best for easing heartburn and acid reflux, and it keeps the airway open to help snoring and sleep apnea.

Cons: Left side can put pressure on stomach and lungs, or can cause arm numbness. Sleeping with an arm behind the head can adversely affect muscles and nerves and reduce blood flow to the extremity, shoulder, and neck.

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What Can I Do To Get Better Sleep

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
• Get enough natural light, especially earlier in the day. Try going for a morning or lunchtime walk.
• Get enough physical activity during the day. Try not to exercise within a few hours of bedtime.
• Avoid artificial light, especially within a few hours of bedtime. Use a blue light filter on your computer or smartphone.
• Dont eat or drink within a few hours of bedtime avoid alcohol and foods high in fat or sugar in particular.
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Work with your health care team to identify obstacles to good sleep, including other medical conditions.

Pathophysiological Consequences Of Sleep

CSB results in recurrent hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and hypocapnia, and increased negative intrathoracic pressure. These changes cause release of inflammatory mediators, increases in transmural pressure in cardiac chambers, and diminished oxygen delivery to tissues. The mean overnight urinary norepinephrine excretion level is significantly elevated in CHF patients with either OSA or CSA-CSB compared with those with CHF and no SDB, indicating increased overnight sympathetic activity.7 CSA-CSB is associated with nocturnal ventricular arrhythmiaspremature ventricular contractions , couplets, and ventricular tachycardiawhich decrease significantly when CSA is suppressed using continuous positive airway pressure .37 PVCs may be seen more in the hypercapnic phase of CSA than the apneic phase.38 In addition, atrial fibrillation is also common in CHF patients with CSA,3,39 although the causal relationship is unclear.

Whether these nocturnal arrhythmias or CSA-CSB affect outcome is unknown. Although patients with CSA-CSB and CHF have worse quality of life than those without CSA-CSB,40 CSA is not clearly associated with increased mortality in CHF patients.15,41 Thus, the data remain controversial as to whether CSA has independent prognostic utility in CHF.

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Best Sleeping Position For Heart Failure

Heart failure is a chronic condition. Proper medications and lifestylemodifications will help you manage heart failure. Quality sleep is very important normally and also in this condition.

Sleeping positions can affect your heart health. According to Medical Researches, the Right side sleeping position is the best sleeping position for Heart Failure.

How Can I Support Someone

The progression of heart failure can be unpredictable, which makes it difficult to know when to have conversations about end of life care. Its important to discuss things as early as possible, giving people the time to think about treatment options and where they want to be cared for towards the end of their life. This may help them achieve some peace of mind and a sense of control.

Its vital that the person is able to make informed decisions about their care, so find out if they have enough information about their condition, and how it may impact their life towards the end stages.

Its helpful for someone with suitable experience to start conversations about the following:

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Best Side To Sleep On

Whats the best sleeping position? ranks with other common sleeping-related questions, such as Why do my arms fall asleep at night? and Whats causing my insomnia? There are many reasons why you may be asking yourself whats the best position to sleep in. Maybe youre having trouble falling asleep, youre not sleeping through the night, or you just want to try something new. In any case, remember that theres no one single best sleeping position for everyone, and its important to take a personalized approach to your sleeping position and your overall sleep habits!

An ideal sleeping position can make you feel better physically by supporting your spine and keeping your body in alignment. Additionally, if a new sleeping position can help you get to sleep quickerand stay asleepthen youll be able to capitalize on the benefits of a good nights sleep. Sleep reduces stress, increases mental clarity, boosts your energy levels, and helps you maintain a strong immune system.

Keep in mind that the correct way to sleep may depend on your unique needs. In the following section, we list out the pros and cons of sleeping on each side, so you can discover for yourself what the best position to sleep in is.

Cold Or Upper Respiratory Infection

Symptoms of a cold or upper respiratory infection tend to worsen at night. This is because mucus accumulates in the sinuses and throat when a person lies down. Sleeping with the head elevated can help alleviate associated symptoms, such as a stuffy nose.

Sleeping with the head elevated

Raising the level of the head can help drain the sinuses, preventing nasal blockages and associated headaches. Propping two or more pillows under the head before going to sleep should be effective.

People who have sleep apnea or a tendency to snore should avoid sleeping on their backs, especially when they have a cold. This is because the position may cause the tongue to partially block the flow of air, making breathing difficulties worse. Experiment with various positions to find one that feels comfortable.

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Other Studies Have Found Physical Effects On The Heart While Sleeping On Your Left Side

A separate study conducted in 2018 also used ECG to monitor the heart data from 9 subjects. Similar to the 1997 study, results also found that participants sleeping on their left sides had significant changes in their heart’s electrical activity. But in this study, an imaging technique known as vectorcardiography also showed that the heart turned and shifted while in that position, which researchers said may explain the recorded changes.

In comparison, almost no ECG changes were recorded while participants slept on their right side, Healthline reports. Imaging showed a thin layer of tissue between the lungs known as the mediastinum actually held the heart securely in place while sleeping that way.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

However, both studies quickly concluded that more research would be needed on how sleep position could affect the heart’s activity overall. And while some patients who have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure have reported trouble breathing or discomfort while sleeping on their left side, there is no conclusive evidence that sleeping on your left side could be putting you at an increased risk of heart disease if you don’t already have a condition.

Do You Sleep On Your Stomach

Approximately 7% of people sleep on their stomach. This is sometimes called the prone position. It may help ease snoring by shifting fleshy obstructions from your airway. But sleeping in this position may aggravate other medical conditions.

Your neck and spine are not in a neutral position when you sleep on your stomach. This may cause neck and back pain. Stomach sleeping can put pressure on nerves and cause numbness, tingling, and nerve pain.

It’s best to choose another sleep position if you are a stomach sleeper. If you can’t break the habit, prop your forehead up on a pillow so your head and spine remain in a neutral position and you have room to breathe.

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Cardiac Cachexia Or Anorexia

Cardiac cachexia or anorexia is characterised by loss of appetite, profound weight loss and loss of muscle and fat tissue. You could suggest the person tries eating small, frequent meals. You should consider high calorie, high protein food, and supplement drinks. There are more tips on our page about hydration and nutrition. A dietitian may be able to provide you and your patient with further guidance.

Chf Contributing To Rsd

CHF may result in fluid retention and deranged autonomic control. Commonly, patients with CHF complain of dyspnea on exertion, then at rest or during sleep, where it is known as orthopnea or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Fluid retention results in interstitial edema, pleural effusion and alveolar edema. There may also be pedal edema and at times gut wall edema may lead to malabsorption.

Deranged autonomic control is thought initially to be compensatory for the low cardiac output. This has an effect upon sleep quality in addition to the development of tachyarrhythmias . Poor sleep quality can lead to daytime fatigue, rather than true sleepiness .

Fluid retention can contribute to RSD via several mechanisms. First edema of the upper airway can narrow the lumen , and possibly the surface tension of the upper airway lining thus predisposing to upper airway collapse .

Second, shifting of fluid from lower limbs and abdomen to the thorax can contribute to transient pulmonary edema. This phenomenon is called rostral fluid shift and if concentrated to the lungs cause CSA-CSR, or to the upper airway, OSA. Given that 50% of the oxygen stores are kept within the lungs, a reduction in size or function can exacerbate periodic breathing .

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