Do You Sleep The Right Way?

We all have our favourite positions to sleep in. For some of us, it's on our backs, for others, it's on our fronts, and for the rest of us, it's in the foetal position on either side. We just do what feels comfortable and natural to us, and why not? We're resting after all!

Well actually, a new report published by The Journal of Neuroscience tells us exactly 'why not', and even 'why to', when it comes to sleeping positions.

Why not sleep on our backs or our fronts? Because sleeping on our side is better for us. And why is that? Because it is said to clear out 'brain waste'.

An experiment was conducted recently on rodents to discover whether their sleeping positions affected how much 'waste' was cleared from their brains. Yes, we know what you're thinking: what exactly is 'brain waste'?

Brain waste is made up of chemicals, like amyloid and tau proteins, which can upset the brain's processes if left to build up for too long.

During the night, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows through the brain's glymphatic pathway, and mixes with interstitial fluid (ISF), to naturally clear away such 'waste'. In the rodent experiment, MRI (magnetic responance imaging) was used to study this process. With the help of kinetic modeling, the exchange rates of CSF and ISF were monitored, and the results suggested that sleeping in the lateral position (on the side) was the most effective way of clearing the pathway.

Whilst it has yet to be tested on humans, this could potentially be a groundbreaking discovery. Because it might go some way towards warding off neurological diseases, like dementia, thought to be connected to sleep disturbances; it's believed the brain's inability to sufficiently clear brain waste leads to memory loss and may even result in Alzheimer's.

Nothing has been proven as yet – but it does give us food for thought. We all know what a difference it makes when we get out of bed on the right side, so it might just be worth sleeping on it too.

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READ MORE: Here's How To Get The Best Night's Sleep Ever!