Health Preservation: Elderly Should Sleep in a “Curl Like a Bow” Position
A 76-year-old man named Mr. Chen visited a hospital complaining that although he went to bed at 10 p.m., he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind involuntarily conjured images, even memories of events decades old. After careful questioning, doctors discovered his poor sleeping habit: placing his arms under his head and bending both knees.
Older adults should avoid hugging their heads or resting their arms under their heads, or crossing or bending their lower limbs, as this causes muscle tension, impairs blood circulation, restricts breathing, and makes falling asleep difficult—even if they do sleep, they tend to have restless dreams and wake easily.
Doctors recommend that elderly people adopt the “sleeping like a bow” posture, with left-side lying being optimal. This position helps relax muscles, reduce fatigue, assist gastric food movement toward the duodenum, and prevent heart compression. However, natural position changes are still important—if lying on the left side too long, shift to supine.
Some elderly patients with chronic illnesses take medication every night. Because some require large doses, they must drink much water to swallow pills, often waking abruptly due to urgent urination during sleep.
Therefore, doctors advise that since older adults often suffer from kidney qi deficiency, they should avoid drinking fluids before bedtime unless necessary. If medication is required, try taking it earlier, such as after meals. Also, empty the bladder before going to bed to prevent bladder fullness and frequent nighttime urination.