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If you are suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD) and are worried about how you can spend a healthy life. There is no need to worry. You can even reduce your peripheral artery disease by sleeping in the best position.
Peripheral artery disease is very common in more than 6.5 million Americans over the age of 40. In this condition fatty plaque build-up in the arteries and makes the blood harder to flow to your legs, head, arms, and to other organs.
Although peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a serious disease and sometimes it can be very painful, there are still some that slowly cure it. Besides treatment, sleeping in the right position can also slow it down. Let’s explore the best sleeping position for peripheral artery disease.
1. Leg Elevation
To reduce the discomfort of PAD best sleeping position is to elevate your legs. Raising your legs, a little higher than the heart level stops the blood from pooling in the affected areas. When blood stops in the legs it causes discomfort and swelling. Gravity also affects the blood flow and attracts the blood back to the heart.
All you have to do is just raise your leg areas while you are sleeping. If you are sleeping on a regular bed, you can raise your legs by using pillows. Place as many pillows as you like to make yourself comfortable. Raising your legs also helps in soothing muscle tension. If you are struggling with swelling and discomfort all day due to peripheral artery disease, then leg elevation is the best sleeping position for peripheral artery disease.
2. Sleep On Your Back
Sleep on your back is another position that is really helpful for those who are suffering from peripheral artery disease. But this position is not going to help those who snore. This is a great position as sleeping on your back evenly distributes the weight and reduces the pressure from the affected blood vessels. Reducing the pressure from the affected areas means reducing the discomfort caused by PAD.
In this position, your legs are naturally above the level of the heart and improve blood circulation. However, raising the legs with the pillow is a great technique that reduces the stress on the lower back and you can sleep comfortably with peripheral artery disease.
3. Sleeping On the Side
If you are not comfortable sleeping on your back with slightly raised legs, then you can also choose another best sleeping position for peripheral artery disease which is sleeping on the side. To balance the blood flow, you can also sleep on your side but keep in mind that your legs should be straight and aligned. Do not tuck your legs toward your chests because it can restrict the blood flow and it may irritate or discomfort the affected areas. If this position seems challenging for you and you can’t naturally hold your body to be straight, then place the pillows between your knees. This will help in reducing the stress on your hips and keep your body aligned.
Invest in Comfortable Mattresses and Pillows
If you are suffering from peripheral artery disease, we understand how uncomfortable is for you to sleep at night. Purchase comfortable mattresses and pillows to get good sleep at night. There are some sleeping positions that are best for peripheral artery disease sufferers but if your bed mattress or pillows are not comfortable then no sleeping position can comfort you.
Mattresses that are specially designed to support your body, especially hips, legs, and back, and soft pillows that support your neck and shoulder will be of great help for those who suffer from peripheral disease to get sound sleep.
Do Not Sleep On Your Stomach
It is not recommended for the peripheral artery disease sufferer to sleep on their stomach for several reasons:
- When you are sleeping on your stomach, your legs are in the lower position to your heart. A lower level of the legs makes a pool of blood in the affected arteries and lower limbs. This will make you uncomfortable and also cause significant swelling.
- Sleeping on your stomach is not a comfortable position as it puts pressure on your spine and neck. This ultimately hinders blood flow.
Top Tip
If you are in the habit of sleeping on your stomach, place hard pillows, blankets, and long pillows on the side of your body. This is a wonderful technique that prevents you from sleeping on your stomach and soon you’ll leave the habit.
Over to You
Adopting the aforementioned best sleeping position for peripheral artery disease (PAD) will help you to sleep peacefully. Right sleeping positions will improve blood circulation and prevents the blood from making pools in the affected arteries. Elevating your legs above the level of your heart, and sleeping on your side and on your back are the proven options that soothe your discomfort and make you sleep at ease.
By sleeping in the right position and choosing the right bedding material can slow down the discomfort of peripheral artery disease and enhance your sleep.
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