Many things can affect your sleep, and poor circulation is just one of them. Experiencing muscle cramps, pain, tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, and lethargy is no fun.
Similarly, sleeping on your left side, specifically, could help the flow of blood to your heart. When your heart pumps blood out to your body, it gets circulated and then flows back to your heart on the right side, Winter explains.
Blood clots
Clots in the blood can restrict the flow of blood in either a partial or complete manner. A blood clot can form practically anywhere in your body, but if it happens to form in your arms or legs, it might cause circulation difficulties which means poor circulation when lying down.
Leg pain and other symptoms of periphery arterial disease (PAD), which happens when narrowed blood vessels reduce the flow of blood to your limbs, can make it hard to get enough sleep. So can certain sleep disorders that are linked to PAD.
Our circulatory system works best when we're upright and moving. When we spend many hours lying down, blood pools in the legs, lower volumes of blood are pumped through the body even though the heart works harder, oxygen uptake is reduced, and the risk of blood clots is increased, particularly in the legs and lungs.
While wearing socks in bed can improve circulation, it can also go the other way. If the socks you choose to wear are restrictive and too tight, this can cause blood flow to decrease.
Sleeping with socks on can improve circulation. However, if the socks you wear are too constrictive and tight, it could cause a decrease in blood flow. If your socks aren't breathable, it could prevent the release of heat from your body. Poor hygiene could also occur with wearing socks at night.
When we are lying down, it is harder for our hearts to maintain effective circulation in our legs, In addition, if we are already suffering from swollen ankles due to a build up of fluid thanks to gravity during the day, our circulation is blocked even more.
They may recommend an exercise and diet program and medication, but some patients see the most benefit from a vascular treatment such as angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Potassium (Vitamin K)
Potassium is an essential mineral for many important bodily functions, including blood circulation. It keeps the blood vessel walls strong and can even help prevent bulging veins.
Elevating your legs while you sleep can help your circulation and prevent swelling. It's best to elevate your legs above the level of your heart. Wedge-shaped pillows make this easier to do. You can also use pillows or folded blankets you have on hand to elevate your legs in bed to help circulation.
Staying hydrated helps circulation by improving blood flow throughout the body. Warm water is particularly beneficial as it encourages the veins to expand, thus allowing more room for blood to flow.
Elevating a limb, especially the legs, above the heart allows the blood to circulate back to the heart without fighting gravity. The heart still pumps blood to these extremities, but the stress on the heart is reduced. This helps to mitigate swelling and brings fresh and oxygenated blood to the limbs.
As said above, wearing wet socks to bed can help keep your feet colder, which can really help you feel fresh and cool on stuffy nights, or if your bedclothes are especially heavy. It is an extremely cost-effective way to tackle a cold, as you only need two pairs of socks and some warm and cold water.
Compression socks are NOT recommended for some patients.
“If you have peripheral vascular disease affecting your lower extremities, you should not wear compression socks,” he says. “The pressure provided by compression socks may make ischemic disease worse.
Sleeping with socks on may not be for you if you have circulatory issues, swelling of the feet, or other issues that could potentially increase the likelihood of socks restricting blood flow to your legs and feet. As always, make sure to talk to your doctor about if sleeping with socks on is right for you.
The one downside to wearing socks while you sleep is overheating. If you do overheat or feel too hot, kick off your socks or leave your feet outside your blanket.
It's generally recommended to use a pillow if you sleep on your back or side. However, what's most important is that you feel comfortable and pain-free in bed. If you have neck or back pain, or if you have spine condition like scoliosis, sleeping without a pillow may be unsafe.
Symptoms of poor circulation are often easy to spot. They include muscle cramping, constant foot pain, and pain and throbbing in the arms and legs. As well as fatigue, varicose veins, and digestive issues. Leg cramps while walking and wounds that don't seem to heal in your legs, feet, and toes are also symptoms.
When you're standing, gravity helps push blood into your feet. But when you lie down, you lose the help of gravity, so circulation to the area decreases even further.
Start doing daily stretching, exercises, or yoga to increase blood flow. Do aerobic or cardio exercises to get your blood moving and your heart rate up. Wear compression stockings to encourage the blood to move from your legs back up to your heart. Eat a healthy diet to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.