4 Proven Benefits of Sleeping With Your Legs Elevated

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the fundamental rules of good health and well-being. Unfortunately, for many, it is also a rare luxury. Those who suffer from chronic pain, sleep apnea, and other bothersome health conditions often struggle to maintain a healthy sleep schedule, which, in turn, increases their risk of several dangerous diseases. 

 

If you find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, one of the first things you should consider is your sleeping position. The way you sleep may not match up with your body’s needs. A person suffering from chronic back pain, for example, will continue tossing and turning in pain all night if they sleep in a position that puts tension on their back. 

 

An often overlooked sleep position that has tremendous benefits for folks suffering from certain underlying conditions is sleeping with your legs elevated. Learn who can benefit from this sleep position the most and how to practice it safely in this guide. 

 

The Benefits of Sleeping With Elevated Legs

1. Relieves lower back pain 

Chronic back pain can interfere with your sleep without you even realizing it. If you’re suffering from any kind of lower back pain, be it sciatic nerve pain, a pinched nerve, or joint pain, sleeping with legs elevated can be immensely helpful.

Sleeping on your back, in general, is beneficial for back pain because it distributes your weight as evenly as possible, so it reduces the risk of spinal disc compression. To promote the natural curvature of the spine and reduce the pressure off the spinal column even further, put a bolster or pillow under your knees. Sleeping in this position will make sleep more comfortable for you and offers relief from lower back pain as well.

2. Improves blood circulation 

Poor blood circulation in the legs is not uncommon, and it dramatically increases one’s risk of blood clots and potentially life-threatening conditions like deep vein thrombosis and stroke. Elevating your legs 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) above your heart will improve blood flow from your legs toward your heart, essentially boosting blood circulation in the lower extremities. 

 

It all boils down to simple physics. Whenever your legs are below the level of your heart (e.g. when standing), the blood in the leg veins must work against gravity to return to the heart. Simply elevating your legs makes gravity work for instead of against you, improving blood flow. This position also means that your heart won’t need to pump as much, which means that elevating your legs is also beneficial for heart health. 

 

3. Reduces swelling in the legs

Things like inflammation or edema (fluid trapped in the tissues, usually in the feet, ankles, and legs) can lead to soreness and swelling in the lower extremities. Many health conditions, such as chronic cardiovascular or lung diseases, as well as a diet high in salt or prolonged periods of sitting or standing, can contribute to swelling in the legs. The condition can be quite painful and may interfere with your sleep. 

 

Similar to the way leg elevation improves blood circulation, it can also aid in draining away trapped fluids from your legs. If you suffer from swollen feet, this may be the best sleeping position for you.

4. Lower pressure

If you have to stand or sit for long periods of time, it can make blood difficult to drain from the veins in the lower body. The collected blood, in turn, creates excess pressure in veins. This pressure equals soreness and tension in the legs, and it is believed to cause varicose veins too. 

 

Varicose veins are visibly twisted and inflamed veins that are particularly common among people who work standing jobs. Raising your legs at night will bring relief to tired feet and lower the pressure in the lower body too. 

 

Who can benefit from sleeping with their legs raised?

Lower back pain sufferers 

 

Those who have sciatica or a pinched nerve 

 

People recovering from injuries to the legs or feet 

 

After surgery 

 

Patients with chronic joint conditions 

 

Those who have vein conditions, such as varicose veins or superficial thrombophlebitis. 

 

Deep vein thrombosis sufferers 

 

Chronic venous insufficiency patients 

 

Pregnant persons 

 

Anyone suffering from edema.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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