Research shows that a side-sleeping position improves the brain's glymphatic system, which is the cleansing system that removes waste from the brain. This waste is believed to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Sleep on your side to boost brain power
Side sleeping could help keep you sharp and possibly reduce your dementia risk.
But the good news is that you can reduce your risk of dementia by simply giving yourself six to eight hours of sleep each night. Try to avoid sleeping pills, as they don't give you the deep sleep you need.
Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach. In either of these sleep positions, it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure on the spinal tissues and enables your muscles to relax and recover.
As a result, side sleeping is the best way to sleep for your brain. According to research, the brain's glymphatic system is almost completely dormant during the day and most active while you sleep. While a person sleeps, the canals that form their brain's glymphatic system increase by around 60%.
Sleeping on your left side can help naturally open the airways and make breathing easier. You may also find relief if you rest on your right side, but doctors believe sleeping on your left side to be more effective. It's also the recommended sleeping position for people with sleep apnea.
To our knowledge, this study is the first to show a relationship between time spent in the supine sleep position and dementia.
Some recent studies suggest that poor sleep contributes to abnormal levels of beta-amyloid protein in the brain, which in turn leads to the amyloid plaques found in the Alzheimer's brain. These plaques might then affect sleep-related brain regions, further disrupting sleep.
Melatonin secretion decreases in Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and this decrease has been postulated as responsible for the circadian disorganization, decrease in sleep efficiency and impaired cognitive function seen in those patients.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's, being physically active, eating nutritiously, limiting alcohol consumption, and not smoking may help reduce the risk.
Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.
The primary cause of sleepless nights for those with dementia seems to be the changes that take place in the brain. Leading experts believe that as dementia changes brain cells, it also affects a person's circadian rhythms. When circadian rhythms get disrupted, the individual often confuses morning and evening.
Melatonin might help improve sleep and reduce sundowning in people with dementia. Provide proper light. Bright light therapy in the evening can lessen sleep-wake cycle disturbances in people with dementia.
Dementia vs. Alzheimer's Disease: What is the Difference? Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, while Alzheimer's is a specific disease. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia.
In a small study, a drug called suvorexant that is approved to treat insomnia reduced levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease in cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers are launching a clinical trial to further test the drug in people at risk of developing dementia.
Reduced snoring: Sleeping with one leg bent often calls for someone to be laying on their side, or on their stomach. This helps alleviate the issues that come with back sleeping, such as sleep apnea, which many snorers suffer from.
Reflux and heartburn: If you suffer from heartburn, sleeping on your right side can make symptoms worse, Salas says. That's true for people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and for people who have heartburn for other reasons, such as pregnant women. Flip to your left side to cool the burn.
Cons: Sleeping on the left side can put pressure on the stomach and lungs, and affect blood flow, so it is best to switch it up… or you may experience numbness in your arms from resting on one for too long.
Research reveals more women prefer to sleep on the left side of the bed than the right - and the reason why is super cute.
Sleeping with your head pointing North can also disrupt your blood circulation and lead to disturbed sleep. In order to prevent such a scenario, it is better to avoid sleeping with your head facing North. Which direction is ideal for sleeping? East and South directions are the most ideal directions for sleeping.