This con applies to left side sleeping only. There are a few drawbacks to consider when it comes to side sleeping. Of course, a list of pros also comes with a list of cons. For example, Alzheimer’s disease is linked to proteins piling up in the brain. Why is it important for the glymphatic system to operate at peak efficiency? Scientists suggest that its waste disposal function may play a key role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. A 2015 study speculated that may be part of the reason side sleeping is the most popular position. The system operates more efficiently when you lie on your side than on your back or front. One thing scientists have discovered about the glymphatic system? Your sleep position can influence its effectiveness. Never heard of the glymphatic system? That’s likely because researchers only discovered it within the last few years, so there’s still a lot to learn. It clears out waste in the brain and may also help deliver compounds such as glucose, lipids, amino acids, and neurotransmitters.

Our bodies have a waste system known as the glymphatic system. However, lying on your side ensures gravity will keep your stomach acid from flowing upward.ĭigestive issues side sleeping can prevent or manage include heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD. When you lie flat on your front or back, your stomach’s acid can flow up your esophagus, causing damage and conditions such as Barrett’s esophagus. Sleeping on your side prevents stomach acid from rising and holds stomach contents in place better than back or stomach sleeping. Side sleeping is easily the best position when it comes to controlling snoring and sleep apnea. We would also argue that managing snoring and sleep apnea symptoms isn’t worth the risk of developing chronic back pain from sleeping on your stomach regularly. Increased lumbar lordosis is associated with acute and chronic low back pain and is often improved by lifestyle modifications including sleeping position,” says Dr. “Stomach sleeping also affects lower back posture and can increase lumbar lordosis – an overarching of the spine. If stomach sleepers don’t keep their heads at this awkward angle, then they’re breathing straight into their pillow and mattress.

Stomach sleepers have to twist their necks to the side to breathe, misaligning their cervical spine. While stomach sleeping can reduce snoring and sleep apnea, the position can obstruct a person’s breathing in other ways. Why is it important to manage sleep apnea? Because untreated sleep apnea is linked to: The collapsed soft tissue narrows your airway and makes breathing more difficult. Your jaw, tongue, and other soft tissues collapse in your throat when you lie on your back. What’s one big advantage side sleeping has over back sleeping? Back sleeping can worsen snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. “Plus, side sleeping is the most comfortable and safe position to sleep during pregnancy,” says Dr. The position can ease symptoms of sleep apnea and acid reflux. Side sleeping can often promote greater physical health. Our article includes the pros and cons of the position, along with the tools you need to sleep on your side soundly. So that’s what we set out to write-a guide that covers what you need to know about sleeping on your side. It’s not as if people are born with a “User’s Guide to Side Sleeping,” after all. They may not understand all the benefits or they may not know there’s a right and wrong way to sleep on their sides. Yet there’s a lot people don’t know about side sleeping. The other two positions are back and stomach sleeping, and they tend to lag behind in polls by a significant amount. The exact percentage varies, but it’s easily the most popular of the three sleeping positions. If you look at nearly any poll about people’s favorite sleeping position, side sleeping will almost always emerge as the clear winner.

Should i sleep on my left or right side