Sleep is essential to mental wellbeing. Studies suggest that certain sleeping positions restrict blood flow to the brain, leading to poor quality restful sleep and possibly leading to dementia risk.
Stony Brook University researchers used MRI technology to monitor the glymphatic pathway, which clears waste chemicals from the brain, and found that sleeping on one’s side in a lateral position allows for the most efficient removal of brain waste.
Side
If memory loss has become a growing concern for you, changing your sleeping habits might help. According to research conducted on people sleeping on their stomach or back can restrict blood flow to the brain, restricting oxygen and nutrient supply while raising risks associated with dementia-related diseases.
The supine position has long been linked with increased risks of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies, which is associated with poor sleep quality, obstructive sleep apnea and depression – among other issues. According to research published by Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, those sleeping on their stomach or back were significantly more likely to experience cognitive impairment than those sleeping on their sides – regardless of age, sex status, obstructive sleep apnea or whether or not they reported having had had experienced stroke.
People who sleep on their sides were found to be less prone to stroke, as this sleeping position enhanced blood flow to the brain and supported its cleansing mechanism, Glymphatic System. Glymphatic System removes waste from brain tissues to lower risk for neurological diseases; when supported properly by sleeping lateral or side position it allows Glymphatic pathway more efficiently clear away waste products and reduce risk. Other sleeping positions leave vulnerable areas open for build-up of toxins while sleeping in this position helps Clear out waste more effectively from brain tissues.
Back
Finding a comfortable sleeping position may take some trial-and-error; it may cause back or neck pain for those suffering from snoring or sleep apnea. But researchers found that lying on their back improves flow of cerebrospinal fluid between brain and spinal column, helping clear away waste products more efficiently.
Studies have demonstrated that rats equipped with functioning glymphatic systems – which flush waste products out of the brain interstitial space and remove it – had lower levels of toxic waste when sleeping on their backs, supporting the theory that humans may also prefer this position for sleep, although more research needs to be conducted.
People living with dementia tend to have difficulty sleeping due to memory problems; their brains struggle to relax properly, leading them to difficulty falling asleep or staying awake longer periods than those without dementia.
This may be partly attributed to underlying medical conditions associated with dementia, including snoring or sleep apnea as well as low oxygen levels caused by these issues. More research needs to be conducted into whether these factors lead to poor sleeping or worsen the dementia itself; moreover, large group studies examining sleep patterns among people living with dementia over an extended period are also needed in order to understand if sleep affects its development or progression.
Stomach
Studies from Stony Brook University indicate that sleeping on your stomach could increase your risk of dementia. They found that sleeping this way impacts on how effectively the glymphatic system clears away waste chemicals, similar to how lymphatic systems clean other parts of the body; when sleeping on either your front or back this function doesn’t function as effectively, leading to buildups of toxins which could increase neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
Curling up on your side can help protect against such disorders and is widely considered the ideal position for reducing snoring, improving spinal alignment and posture and helping prevent plaque and other forms of build-up in the brain.
However, the lateral position isn’t just beneficial to your mind: it also improves circulation and lowers blood pressure, helping with back and neck pain relief by avoiding low level postural stress that triggers pain receptors – known as nociceptor stimulation – in your muscles and joints – often caused by sitting or lying awkwardly for too long.
Nap
Sleep is vital, but to remain sharp and healthy into old age, your sleeping position could need to change. According to studies conducted on humans by scientists at Duke University and elsewhere, researchers have discovered that sleeping on your nap side — that side where you usually lie down when taking a nap — may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Previous research has identified dementia as a condition in which waste proteins, like beta-amyloid and tau, clump together in the brain. The build-up of these harmful proteins causes memory loss and other symptoms; scientists have long known that sleep helps clear out these harmful proteins by flushing away waste through cerebrospinal fluid that flows in and out of your system and flushing away wasteful proteins that cling together during sleep.
But without enough restful sleep to flush away waste products from your mind, its health may become impaired from an accumulation of protein and other toxic materials. Therefore, getting at least seven to eight hours of quality restful rest each night, including how you lay down when going to bed is so vitally important.
Researchers from Stony Brook University discovered that mice sleeping lateral (side) positions slept more soundly with improved functioning glymphatic systems – similar to our lymphatic systems that help clean out waste from their bodies – as well as being better protected against neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and depression.
