sleep position

[AstroFish]

Daft question but with AF is it ok to sleep on your left side ? I seem to vaguely remember reading it wasn’t a great idea even if your AF isn’t playing up. But I’m not sure if I dreamed that and can’t remember where I read it.

[BobD Volunteer]

No reason not to unless you find it uncomfortable. Some people find that one side or the other means that they become more aware of their AF. I believe this is due to the internal organs moving about slightly so pressure one way or the other makes you feel it. We AFers are so damned sensitive to these things.

There is no medical reason why you should avoid anything like that. Only comfort.

[AstroFish in reply to BobD]

Thanks - that’s reassuring. I prefer the left but am more aware of my heartbeat but like you suggest - it may be that I’m just a little sensitive to hearing my heart beat. Cheers 🙂

[jeanjeannie50]

If I try to sleep on my left side, my heart will immediately begin to thump hard in my chest. So without fail I always sleep on my right. I had an echocardiogram a few months back and was asked to turn on my left - how my heart pounded. When my cardiologist looked at the results he wrote that my heart was beating too fast. It was, but only because I was lying on my left side. It's strange that expert don't know these things. I had to explain to my anticoagulant nurse at a yearly check last week that vitamin K2 was needed when you takeVitamin D3. She actually said, I've never heard of that.

Jean

[Auriculaire in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I 've never heard of that either. Calcium yes.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Auriculaire]

Have just changed my post, goodness knows why I wrote magnesium instead of vitamin D3. My apologies to everyone.

[mwcf in reply to jeanjeannie50]

My understanding (and daily practice) is Via K with D3.

With Mg I'd say best (enhancing cellular uptake) to take some B6 with it.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to mwcf]

Thank you, I had wondered whether I needed B6. Already take B12.

Jean

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Have just changed my post (think I'm losing the plot). Should have put K2 alongside vitamin D3. My apologies.

[GrannyE in reply to jeanjeannie50]

you are quite right on all counts. When I was really bad before the ablation My heart thumped so hard it lifted me right off the bed on my left side,

[Janith in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Vitamin K2 is a blood thinner. I take it even though I am on Eliquis.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Janith]

Actually Jan vitamin K2 does the opposite, it thickens the blood. I've had to increase my dose of Warfarin since I started taking it.

[Drounding]

I can't sleep on my left side. I can feel my heart too much if I do and I feel as if I'm going to go into AF. As a result I always sleep on my right side.

As Bob says when you have any heart arrhythmia you become extra sensitive to any changes in your heart beat. If you feel comfortable sleeping on your left side then do so.

[JayDJ]

I cannot sleep on my left side as it is practically guaranteed to start my Afib off.

[Jalia]

Sleep whatever side is comfortable for you. I sleep on my left. I actually read quite recently that the left side is most beneficial ! If you suffer from reflux then avoid lying on right side if you can as this can provoke reflux due to the lay of the organs.

[DIB69 in reply to Jalia]

I lay on my right side for all the reasons typically outlined in other comments but as you say lying on the left side is better for overall digestion. Difficult when one suffers with both A and reflux etc!

[pottypete1]

I cannot sleep on my left side. Can’t exactly identify why but maybe it is because of years of heart rhythm problems. Pete

[CDreamer]

Whatever position is most comfortable for you and doesn’t poke the beast.

[mav7]

Two links on the subject worth the read. Third link is a previous discussion.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

frontiersin.org/articles/10...

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

[OzRob]

On the left side you are putting too much pressure on something (heart, Diaphragm, Lungs?) that will set AF off, I think this would be more the case more for people who have Vagal AF which usually occurs at night. I will not sleep on my left side anymore, which is a pity as that was my favorite sleeping position.

[secondtry]

I stop myself rolling onto the left side with 2 extra pillows. It is quite common as mentioned above by others to play safe and avoid the left side, it may be that your Vagus Nerve is sensitive and responds to being squashed more on that side??

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

I sleep on my left side.

With a 'bad' rib cage, the heart has been pushed further over to the left.

I read it was best to sleep in left position.

cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)

[Noni99]

Hi

I sleep on my right side to take pressure off of my heart. I’ve had afib episodes sleeping in every position, mostly on my back. My EP says, it doesn’t really matter but sleeping on your left side, you are more aware of your heart beating.

[Jajarunner]

Makes no difference to me, I've gone into afib on both sides and on back! But it may be a trigger for some.

[oscarfox49]

I thought it was considered preferable to sleep on your left side as it relieved pressure in the heart area on the right. For a long time I found it far more comfortable and I still sleep most of the night on my left. I always had AF symptoms when I didn't. More recently as I am in generally better health after my recovery from an AF caused stroke a couple of years ago, I find sleeping on my right side is often more comfortable. In the end, choose the side which is more comfortable and concentrate on getting the most sleep you can; that is more important as lack of sleep definitely causes upsurges in AF symptoms.

[Singwell]

I prefer to sleep on the left unless actually in AF. Better for digestion due to positioning of the larger lobe of the liver and how it can press on other internal organs as Bob says.

[tomtom222]

Sleeping on the left side is in fact a trigger for me.

[riverside22]

I certainly can't with permanent AF, I feel every bloop and boom diddy boom on my left side, it feels like a major twitch every few seconds.

[Tapanac]

on my left those acrobats go into overdrive so I try to stay on my right.

[healingharpist in reply to Tapanac]

I'm another one who cannot sleep on the left side. Left side is definitely an AF trigger for me. In fact, I'm sitting up to sleep most of the time now. Cheers, Diane S.

[waveylines]

I'm a restless sleeper so unless I'm woken I sleep as it suits. If my heart is playing up then I find its best to pop an extra pillow so am not lying completely flat. I have P-Afib which is well managed with Verapamil.....long may it continue. I think it may depend on the degree of Afib u have.

[SilverliningsForNow]

I can never sleep on my left or lean on my left on the sofa or sit semi upright in bed. All of those start ectopics. Its just a gentle sign to move over and let the caged beast carry on sleeping!

[geepo1]

As soon as I get into bed I lie on my right for about ten minutes, then I can manage on my left without the AF affects. Also be careful of ‘twisting ‘ when lying down, I was on my right in bed and turned as far as I could to switch of my alarm on my left without turning my whole body, as my shoulders came back to right afib started and lasted twelve hours. Being aware of heart/ stomach movements is important without taking over every waking moment of us afibers.

[Auriculaire]

I can sleep on both sides depending on time of day! When I have an afternoon nap I usually sleep on my left side as I am more comfortable after having lunch on that side. At night I find it more difficult to fall asleep on that side so sleep on my right. I have had more afib attacks start lying on the right than the left.

[hausjac]

Can’t comment on whether it makes AF worse as luckily at the moment my PAF is asymptomatic but I also have AV re-entry tachycardia and when it overrides my meds lying on my left side stops it.

[mwcf]

Left side a no go for me. Even when in AF it feels a lot worse laid on my left side.

[malaekahana]

Your question is clearly not daft, judging from the number of people, like myself, who felt the urge to reply. Like several others, I cannot sleep on my left side either, or the old ticker starts ticking much louder. FWIW, Tibetans sleep on their right side as an aid to clear dreaming. Clearing out energy channels ...

[Petaca]

I sleep on my stomach. Occasional my left side. But mostly my stomach.

[Jmc43]

Great question, and fun to read the variety of responses. I wonder if there is some kind of mind/body connection with all of this. Over the last 6 months, I have gone through a cycle. 6 months ago, I could sleep on any side and it didn’t have an impact on Afib or ectopics. Then 4 months ago, because of a slow heart rate when sleeping, I began to get a series of ectopic beats which sometime morphed into Afib — first when I slept on my left side, then my right, and eventually just laying down stimulated the ectopics. And partly this is because I began to expect this to happen. I had a heart monitor on, they discovered longer pauses, I had a pacemaker implanted 3 months ago, and with a base rate of 60, I have gradually gotten back to being able to lay down on any side without consequence. Started after the pacemaker on my right side, it was fine, but not my left, then eventually my left side was fine too. I think anxiety and being ultra aware contributed to the situation…

[doodle68]

I once read somewhere how many times many people turn in their sleep, it was a surprisingly large number.

So whatever side you choose to go to sleep on you are unlikely to stay on that side.

I sleep with a foam support between my knees to help my bad hips so am conscious of turning over a number of times during the night

[GrannyE]

I too have a pillow between my knees and stay put all night

[fibnum]

I find that my heart feels weird on my left side, I get sleep apnea on my back, and my gut (gas, in which, is my biggest trigger for afib) feels uncomfortable on my right side.

I sleep on my back at first, with my head turned to the right and eventually rolled over to the right.

I am no help to you, except to acknowledge that positioning is challenging. I also sleep with 3 pillows to keep my head and chest higher than my gut.

[LaceyLady]

the heart sits slightly left of the chest, I used to sleep on left until my Consultant said might feel worse, more weight on left

[2219overtimego]

I also am a left side sleeper but I noti e my afib if I lay on left side. I therefore sleep on right side or back.

[Luludean]

good grief!!!!! With all the extra pills/ vitamins many of you AF people( like me) take , it is amazing you have time to write or sleep.

Sleep is a luxury , so many of us are deprived of. Sleeplessness causes anxiety, anxiety goes with crazy dreams, so then , in comes AF , so much more at night. It is a viscious circle. I am writing this at 4am. The weird waking time of 3 30? Why?

Whenever I have heart tests , ie trans thoracic etc , they always ask me to lie on my left . That way they can acess heart images more easily ( wish they would turn the sound off!) . Maybe this is why I ( and many on this site) prefer to sleep on the right side where the beating is less felt.

Now I am going to try it again . Bon soir.

[Madscientist16]

I prefer to sleep on my left side. In fact, I always start my sleep on the left side. It also prevents nightime acid reflex, because this position allows for the stomach to empty more efficiently. Have had no issues with AF sleeping on either side.