Brain-boosting sleep position

Brain-boosting sleep position

As compared to sleeping on your back or stomach, sleeping on your side may help to clear brain waste.

By Dr. George I. Traitses

The brain’s glymphatic pathway (the brain’s lymphatic system), is responsible for clearing harmful wastes – particularly amyloid-beta plaques that characterize Alzheimer’s Disease,   during sleep. Employing an animal model, Helen Benveniste, from Stony Brook University (New York, USA), and colleagues studied the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – interstitial fluid (ISF) exchange efficiency – a marker of the clearance capacity of the glymphatic pathway.  The team found that sleeping in the lateral position (on one’s side) may more effectively remove brain wastes including amyloid-beta, as compared to sleeping on the back or stomach. The study authors submit that: “We propose that the most popular sleep posture (lateral) has evolved to optimize waste removal during sleep.”

For more information on health and safety visit the Ontario Chiropractic Association; website at www.chiropractic.on.ca or call 1877-327-2273. Dr. George I. Traitses of Infinite Health practices traditional chiropractic, advanced nutrition and anti aging therapy and has been serving the Toronto and Markham communities since 1981. You can reach him at 416-499-5656 or www.infinite-health.com