Adequate sleep is necessary, both to make us feel physically well and mentally alert. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to simply grab a few hours each night.

Something I didn’t know is that the way you sleep can determine how your body will feel and look the next day. It can affect both your energy levels and the things happening inside of your body.

I belong to the group of people who always sleep on their sides. It wasn’t until recently, however, that I was made aware of what happens to the body when you sleep on the left side as opposed to the right.

After reading this, I certainly won’t be sleeping on my right side anytime soon.

If you occasionally suffer dips in your energy levels throughout the day, it most likely has to do with how you’re sleeping at night. The reason could be as simple as sleeping on your right side … seriously. Below, we’ve listed explanations from researchers as to why it might be a good idea to start lying on your left side when you sleep, as per a study published at Journals Clinic Gastroenterology.

1: Improved Digestion
Because it lies towards the left side, it’s easier for the stomach to drain into the oesophagus if you sleep on the right side. If you’re lying on the left side, however, digestion will function better.

If you’ve ever had problems with your stomach before, it’s especially important to choose the left side over the right.