Five Reasons to Sleep with Your Head Raised

Getting a good night's sleep is important for your health. It not only helps with mental health but with physical problems, as well. The position you sleep in also can make a difference. Sleeping with your head raised on a couple pillows or with the head of the bed raised a few inches can help with a surprising number of common health problems, both significant and not so much.

Bags under eyes

When you lie flat, fluids in the body pool around the eyes, and the result is inflammation around them. This manifests itself primarily in puffy bags underneath the eyes. Lying with your head propped up prevents the fluids from sitting around them. While this might not be a problem that keeps you up at night, typing "eliminate bags under eyes" in a search engine tends to generate around 6-7 million hits. It's obviously a popular subject.

Gastrointestinal problems

Acid reflux, belching and heartburn can all be worse at night, often causing you to be up and down all night, definitely interfering with sleep. Sleeping with your head raised allows gravity to help your digestive system work to its fullest. It keeps the everything moving toward your feet, avoiding the buildup of gas that can cause belching, and helping prevent the acid buildup.

Snoring

Statistics show that nearly 50% of adults snore. This makes it a common problem. We've all heard the idea of sewing the tennis ball to the back of your pajamas to keep you off your back at night, but you've probably heard of few people who actually found it helpful. Raising the head of the bed may be more effective because it makes the snorer propped up and so helps the snorer as well as others in the house get a better night's sleep.

Sinusitis

Whether temporary or chronic, clogged sinuses can make it difficult to breathe, particularly when lying flat. Stuffy nose and plugged head are the symptoms most people associate with sinusitis. Sinusitis occurs when the sinuses, the passages around the nose, become swollen. Sleeping propped up allows the sinuses to drain more easily, helping ease current problems and helping prevent future flare-ups at night.

Apnea

Apnea is a serious condition in which breathing stops a number of times during sleep. Mild apnea can sometimes be dealt with by propping up the head. Just like with snoring, doing so helps keep the airway open, preventing the blockage that causes the problem. If you think you may have apnea, be sure to discuss it with your doctor. You may need more assistance at night than simply raising the head.

Keep it simple

Propping the head up with pillows or raising the head of the bed can make a tremendous difference in some of the most common ailments that keep people up at night. Getting a good night's sleep by eliminating such issues can raise your spirits as well as your awareness and activity level. Giving you more energy allows you to be more active, which gives you more energy, and so on, creating a new cycle in your health.

References

Mayoclinic.com.