4 Reasons to Elevate Your Legs While Sleeping!
We can incorporate many simple things into our daily lives to improve our health. Some we can even do while sleeping! Elevating your legs during sleep, for example, has many different benefits. So let's take a look:
Improves Circulation
You can improve blood circulation throughout your body by elevating your legs, thanks to gravity. For example, after a day of sitting or standing for hours, lying down with your legs elevated allows the blood to move back to your heart more easily. This is because your legs are positioned above your heart, meaning you use gravity to your advantage rather than working against it.
Reduces Pressure
We just mentioned that long periods of standing or sitting could make it difficult for the blood to flow correctly. This can cause the blood to pool in your veins, resulting in more pressure and leading to conditions such as varicose veins. When you elevate your legs, you can help that pooled blood drain away. Elevating your legs during sleep can help prevent further varicose veins from forming and reduce the stress put on your lower half by existing varicose veins.
Alleviates Back Pain
Elevating your legs can even help improve posture and reduce back pain! Sleeping with your legs elevated helps to relieve tension throughout the body, including the spinal vertebrae. The sciatic nerve, the body's longest nerve, can cause severe pain when inflamed. This nerve goes from the lower back, down the hips, and to the back of each leg. Elevating your legs can be very helpful in lowering this pain.
Aids in Post-Surgery Recovery
Your doctor may recommend elevating your legs after surgery because it lowers the risk of blood clots and lessens pain and swelling. It may even lead to a quicker recovery! So if you have had surgery recently or are going in for an operation soon, ask your provider about elevating your legs post-op.
These are a few reasons why elevating your legs during sleep can benefit you. If you are experiencing vein issues specifically, check out American Vein & Vascular Institute. Their vein health experts are happy to help you discover the best treatment method! Remember to talk with a professional to assess potential risks and decide if and how this leg elevation can work for you.
