When it comes to sleep, comfort is key. But for those with cardiovascular concerns, the question of whether your sleep position affects your heart health adds a new layer of complexity. While ensuring you get enough rest is essential, the position in which you sleep may influence specific aspects of your health, including your heart.

Let's understand the science and expert recommendations to explore how sleep positions impact cardiovascular health and how you can make the best choices for a healthier, more restful night.

Why Does Sleep Position Matter?

Your sleep position affects not only your comfort but also some physiological processes. Some of the positions will strain your back and exacerbate certain health issues or even compromise breathing. Researchers find that sleeping on your side is generally safer than lying on your back or on your stomach, especially regarding certain heart problems.

However, experts agree on one important point: the quality of your sleep is more important than the position in which you sleep. While side sleeping may have small advantages, consistency in restorative sleep is more important.

Left vs. Right: Which Side Supports Better Heart Function?

Left-Side Sleeping

This sleeping position may indirectly influence the position of the heart through gravitational force. Echocardiography has been reported to find small effects in the way the heart operates when resting on the left side. Nonetheless, this is clinically insignificant and shouldn't make healthy sleepers worry.

In people suffering from heart failure, lying on one's left side may at times be uncomfortable or even induce more breathlessness. However, a medical professional should be consulted regarding the best sleeping position.

Right-Side Sleeping

Right-side sleeping is said to be ideal for patients with heart failure. Even though it is said to be one of the sleeping positions that will cut off the flow of blood, this has no basis. Many heart failure patients prefer it and is mostly recommended by doctors since it reduces fluid retention and promotes circulation.

Back or Stomach Sleeping Harmful to Your Heart?

Back Sleeping

For those who do not suffer from breathing problems, sleeping on the back is comfortable. But for those who have sleep apnea, a condition that increases heart disease risk, back sleeping may exacerbate symptoms. The position may constrict the airway, and thus increase the chance of apnea episodes during the night.

Stomach Sleeping

Stomach sleeping alleviates snoring and mild sleep apnea but often leads to neck or back pain. Besides, it is considered the least healthy sleep position because it could compress the airway and interfere with spinal alignment.

Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Risk

Sleep apnea is a severe sleeping disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during the night. It can cause heart failure, hypertension, and other cardiovascular complications if left untreated. The severity of sleep apnea may be affected by your sleeping position.

Side Sleeping: It keeps the airway open and reduces apnea episodes.

Back Sleeping: Often worsens the symptoms of apnea and is not so ideal for people suffering from the disorder.

Doctors usually recommend continuous positive airway pressure machines for sleep apnea, but it is also possible to take up a side-sleeping habit to relieve mild symptoms.

Can Sleep Positions Help Relieve Heartburn and Reflux?

For individuals prone to acid reflux or heartburn, sleeping position matters. While some believe right-side sleeping can ease symptoms, the benefit is minimal. The muscular action of the stomach and intestines largely handles digestion, and gravity’s role in this process is minor. That said, right-side sleeping is harmless and worth trying if it provides relief.

Tips for Better Sleep and Heart Health

Finally, the heart benefits most when you get quality sleep, no matter how you position yourself. Here are tips to help you sleep as best as possible:

• Maintain a regular sleeping and waking time to keep your body in sync with your natural circadian rhythm.
• Limit your exposure to screens at night, lower the lights, and keep the bedroom a calm space.
• Physical exercise promotes better sleep quality but try not to work out at night.
• Other ways that can be used to prepare your body for rest include meditation, warm baths, or light reading.
• Early treatment of sleep disorders like apnea or insomnia may prevent severe heart health consequences.

When to Seek Medical Advice

If you’re struggling with consistent sleep issues, such as insomnia or disruptive snoring, consult a healthcare provider. Sleep apnea, in particular, has strong links to cardiovascular health. Symptoms like shortness of breath while lying flat or persistent fatigue should never be ignored.

The best sleeping position for your heart is that which allows you to have uninterrupted, high-quality sleep. Though side sleeping may be somewhat beneficial, especially in individuals with heart failure or sleep apnea, sleep position has a very small effect on overall cardiovascular health.

Rather than stressing over which side of the bed to sleep on, concentrate on habits that facilitate restorative sleep. After all, a good night's sleep marks the beginning of a healthy heart.

Risk of Developing Heart Failure, and Potential Benefits of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018

Lying position classification based on ECG waveform and random forest during sleep in healthy people. Biomed Eng Online. 2018

Hundreds of thousands of children are set to receive an additional vaccine under the NHS routine childhood immunisation programme. Health officials have confirmed it will be given alongside the existing MMR jab, which protects children in England against measles, mumps and rubella.

Chicken pox Vaccine Starts By NHS

The decision follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and will see the current MMR jab replaced with a combined MMRV vaccine. This single injection protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Studies estimate that chickenpox in childhood leads to around £24 million a year in lost earnings and productivity across the UK. Alongside reducing this impact, the rollout is expected to save the NHS about £15 million each year in treatment costs linked to the illness.

Dr Claire Fuller, National Medical Director for NHS England, said: “This marks a very positive step for children and families, offering protection against chickenpox for the first time and strengthening the range of routine vaccinations we already give to help shield children from serious diseases.

“From now on, the combined vaccine covering measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox will be offered at children’s routine vaccination appointments. This will help keep children healthier, prevent illness caused by these highly infectious viruses, and support the NHS shift from treating sickness to preventing it, while keeping more children safe and in school.”

Recent figures show that around half of children will have chickenpox by the age of four, with nine in ten catching it before they turn ten. Children who develop chickenpox are usually advised to stay away from school until all spots have crusted over, which typically happens about five days after the rash appears.

With the new vaccine in place, fewer children are expected to miss time at nursery or school. This should also reduce the amount of work parents need to take off to look after them.

Who Can Get The Chickenpox Vaccine On The NHS?

Protection against chickenpox is being offered through a new combined vaccine known as MMRV, which replaces the existing MMR jab. The MMRV vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, the virus that causes chickenpox.

• Children born after 1 January 2026 will automatically be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine, given at 12 months and again at 18 months.
• A catch-up programme will also provide one or two doses for older children, depending on when they were born:
• children born on or after 1 January 2025 will be offered two doses, one at 12 months and one at 18 months
• children born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024 will be offered two doses, one at 18 months and another at 3 years and 4 months
• children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024 will be offered one dose at 3 years and 4 months
• children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 will be offered a single dose later in 2026
• GP practices will contact families directly to arrange vaccination appointments when they are due.

How Does The New Chickenpox Vaccination Work?

Specialists say adding the varicella vaccine to the NHS childhood immunisation schedule will significantly cut the number of people who get chickenpox, resulting in far fewer severe cases.

While the vaccine does not guarantee lifelong immunity, it greatly lowers the chances of catching chickenpox or developing a serious form of the illness. Serious side effects, including severe allergic reactions, are extremely uncommon.

The vaccine is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened form of the chickenpox virus. Because of this, it is not recommended for people with weakened immune systems due to conditions such as HIV or treatments like chemotherapy.

The change brings the UK in line with countries that already include routine chickenpox vaccination, such as Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States.

In the past, there were concerns that vaccinating children against chickenpox could lead to an increase in shingles later in life, but a large long-term study from the US has since shown this is not the case.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government, recommended the introduction of the MMRV vaccine for all children in November 2023.

The government confirmed plans to roll out the MMRV vaccine in August 2025, after new figures showed that none of England’s main childhood vaccinations reached the 95 percent uptake target in 2024 to 2025.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, 91.9 percent of five-year-olds had received one dose of the MMR vaccine. This figure was unchanged from 2023 to 2024 and remains the lowest level recorded since 2010 to 2011.

Running to the bathroom with vomiting, diarrhea, or both is never fun. Yet “stomach bugs” are a common part of life, and norovirus is often behind these outbreaks.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that triggers symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, and cases are climbing this winter. While it often makes headlines during cruise ship outbreaks, most infections occur on land, anyone can catch it.

“Originally called ‘winter vomiting disease,’ norovirus is one of the leading causes of vomiting and diarrhea in both children and adults,” explains Dr. Ava Anklesaria, a gastroenterologist at Columbia who treats multiple cases each year. “The virus is very stable in the environment, and only a tiny amount is needed to infect someone, which makes it easy to spread. Simple measures like washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and avoiding contact with sick individuals can prevent infection.”

In the U.S., the CDC estimates that norovirus causes about 21 million illnesses, 465,000 emergency visits—mostly among children—and around 900 deaths annually.

What Is Norovirus And Its Common Symptoms?

Norovirus causes viral gastroenteritis, sometimes called “stomach flu” or a “stomach bug,” though it isn’t related to influenza. As per Mayo Clinic, it consists of several strains of RNA viruses that inflame the stomach and intestines, causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Symptoms usually appear one to two days after exposure and often include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting (non-bloody)
• Watery diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Dehydration (rare but possible)
• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches

Most people recover within one to three days, though they can still spread the virus for up to two weeks after feeling better.

Who Gets Norovirus?

Anyone can get infected. Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S., affecting all ages. Young children, older adults, pregnant people, and individuals with existing health conditions are more vulnerable.

How Does Norovirus Spread?

Norovirus spreads very easily. It survives well in the environment, and only a minuscule amount is enough to infect someone. In fact, just a few particles on the head of a pin can infect over 1,000 people.

Exposure can happen through:

• Eating contaminated water or food, especially leafy greens, fresh fruit, and shellfish like oysters
• Contact with vomit or fecal particles from someone who is infected, either by touching them directly or by touching contaminated surfaces, utensils, or toys

How Does Norovirus Affect Your Gut and Digestive System?

As per the National Institute Of Health, once inside the body, norovirus targets the stomach and intestines. It inflames the lining of the gut, which disrupts normal digestion and absorption. This inflammation leads to increased fluid secretion and faster movement through the intestines, causing watery diarrhea. Vomiting occurs as the stomach reacts to the irritation.

The gut lining may also temporarily lose some of its ability to absorb nutrients and fluids, which can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and fatigue. While symptoms usually resolve in a few days, the virus can continue to be shed in stool for up to two weeks, meaning the gut can remain a source of infection even after recovery.

Atenolol is widely prescribed for conditions such as high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms. While it is suitable for many adults, some people need to be especially careful before starting the beta-blocker.

NHS guidance highlights that certain medical conditions and life stages mean a doctor should be consulted first. This includes people with low blood pressure, Raynaud’s phenomenon, or asthma, among others.

Who Should Be Careful Before Taking Atenolol?

The NHS advises speaking to a doctor before taking atenolol if you fall into any of the following groups:

• People who are trying to conceive, are already pregnant, or are breastfeeding
• People with Raynaud’s phenomenon, which can cause fingers or toes to tingle, become unusually pale, or turn blue
• People with metabolic acidosis, a condition where there is too much acid in the blood
• People with low blood pressure (hypotension) or a slower than normal heart rate
• People with lung disease or asthma
• People who have previously had an allergic reaction to atenolol or any other medicine

How Atenolol Works?

According to official NHS advice, atenolol works by slowing the heart rate, which helps the heart pump blood around the body more easily. In addition to treating blood pressure and heart rhythm problems, it is sometimes prescribed to help prevent migraines and ease symptoms of anxiety.

The NHS notes: “Atenolol is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets or a liquid that you swallow. It can also be given by injection, but this is usually only done in hospital.”

Atenol: Medicines That May Interact With Atenolol

People who take other medicines should also check with a doctor before starting atenolol, as some drugs can affect how well it works or increase the risk of side effects. This applies not only to prescription medicines but also to herbal remedies, vitamins, and supplements.

You should speak to a doctor if you take:

• Other medicines for high blood pressure, as using them with atenolol can sometimes lower blood pressure too much and cause dizziness or fainting
• Medicines for irregular heartbeats, such as amiodarone or flecainide
• Medicines for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Medicines for diabetes, especially insulin. Atenolol can make it harder to notice the usual warning signs of low blood sugar. If you experience low blood sugar without symptoms, speak to your doctor and monitor your levels carefully, particularly after exercise or before driving
• Medicines for nasal or sinus congestion, or other cold remedies, including those bought over the counter
• Medicines for allergies, such as ephedrine, noradrenaline, or adrenaline

The NHS also states: “There’s not enough information to say that herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with atenolol. They’re not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines, and they’re generally not tested for how they affect other medicines.”

Atenolol Dosage And How Long Can It Be Taken?

The dose of atenolol you need depends on the condition being treated. For high blood pressure, the usual adult dose is between 25mg and 50mg once a day, but you should always follow your doctor’s instructions. Your medication packaging will also provide guidance on how to take it.

How long you stay on atenolol varies as well. For long-term conditions such as high blood pressure, it is often taken for many years and, in some cases, for life.