You’ve likely heard that sleep position matters for your health — but does consistently sleeping on your right side cause real harm? For most people, the answer is no. For those living with specific conditions such as acid reflux or heart disease, however, the question deserves a closer look.
En bref
- —Right-side sleeping worsens acid reflux symptoms
- —No cardiac risk proven for healthy sleepers
- —Left side recommended for GERD and some arrhythmias
Right-side sleeping and GERD: a well-documented link
The most evidence-backed concern about right-side sleeping involves gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When you lie on your right side, the lower esophageal sphincter — the valve separating the stomach from the esophagus — tends to relax. That relaxation makes it easier for stomach acid to travel upward.
