Is it okay to sleep with the legs elevated all night? Although it is always advisable to check with a medical professional if you have any concerns about your health and wellness, sleeping with your legs elevated is a seemingly safe and effective way to help with a host of sleeping issues and medical conditions.
A: If you find sleeping with your feet elevated comfortable and beneficial, you can do so every night. However, it's essential to listen to your body and adjust your sleeping position as needed to ensure a good night's sleep.
While anyone who sleeps on their back can benefit from sleeping with their legs elevated, it's particularly advantageous for individuals with specific health conditions, including: Sciatica. Congestive heart failure. Kidney or liver diseases affecting blood circulation.
If you want to elevate your legs during the night, you may be wondering how long you should do so. The answer ultimately depends on your individual situation and medical condition. However, some experts suggest you elevate your legs for at least 30 minutes 3‐4 times per day.
Elevating your injury for long periods of time can be especially risky if you have certain heart conditions or blood pressure issues. This is mainly because elevating your injury can lower your blood pressure and decrease the rate of blood flow throughout your body.
One of the easiest ways to manage swelling is to elevate (raise) the swollen limb. The goal is to elevate the swollen limb slightly above the level of the heart. This helps the extra fluid move back towards the heart for circulation to the rest of the body.
Elevating your feet improves blood circulation and prevents swelling in the feet, while sleeping with your head elevated improves breathing and prevents snoring.
How it Works. 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.
Elevating your legs can reduce the amount of fluid in the tissues, thus lessening the swelling. Lowers blood pressure. Sitting or standing for long hours restricts circulation in the veins. The more blood accumulates, the higher the blood pressure in the veins.
According to Vastu Shastra, it is good to sleep with your head in the east direction, while one should never sleep with the feet towards the east, that is, with the head in the west.
Contrary to popular thought, the numbness or tingling feeling when an arm or leg has "fallen asleep" has less to do with blood circulation and more to do with nerves. Specifically, it's called paresthesia . Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation felt in your body due to the compression or irritation of nerves.
Get an adjustable bed. If you want a more permanent solution for elevating your legs, you may want to consider an adjustable bed. Adjustable foundations can be used to raise up portions of your mattress and keep your feet above your heart.
Sleeping elevated will help to curb snoring and promote better breathing. This helps take the pressure off your airway so it's easier for you to breathe.
Inclined Bed Therapy Side Effects
Adults at a higher risk of blood clots should consult with their doctor before using Inclined Bed Therapy. This is because the elevated position is similar to sleeping while seated, which is known to increase one's chance of developing deep vein thrombosis.
To reduce swelling and improve circulation, it's recommended that you elevate your legs daily for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This allows time for blood and fluids to drain from your legs. To make it a habit, try setting aside 20 minutes each day to elevate your legs while you watch TV or read a book.
Leg Elevation Tips
For the leg elevation treatment to be effective, you'll need to raise your legs above your heart. Lift them three or four times a day, and try to keep them elevated for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Body positioning — Leg, ankle, and foot edema can be improved by elevating the legs above heart level for 30 minutes three or four times per day. Elevating the legs may be sufficient to reduce or eliminate edema for people with mild venous disease, but more severe cases require other measures.
If you sleep on your side, you can put your mind at rest about protecting the health of your brain. According to recent research, side sleeping enhances your brain's ability to eliminate the built-up waste that can lead to neurological diseases.
Sleep on your right side to protect your heart
Sleeping on the left side isn't a problem if you don't have underlying heart issues. But for people with congestive heart failure and other heart issues, it can cause discomfort and even breathing difficulties.
Benefits to Leg Elevation
Use gravity to your advantage by elevating your feet to reduce swelling. Pressure relief: Standing for long periods of time puts pressure on your veins, oftentimes causing pain in the legs and feet. Elevating your legs takes the pressure off and gives your veins a break.
Place pillows underneath your feet and ankles to elevate them. Stack as many as necessary to elevate your feet to the level of your heart. Raising your feet to heart level will help drain pooled blood from your feet and make it easier for your heart to increase circulation.
“Elevating your legs brings a gentle stretch on the hamstrings, glutes, hips and spine. It also frees your body from any tension in the lower back area. It helps in reducing the curve of the lumbar spine and reduces tightness in the lumbar region.