Study Finds the Proper Way to Sleep to Remove Brain Waste
The glumphatic system is a newly discovered part of the brain designed to remove brain waste. Using MRI, scientists have determined the proper way to sleep for brain health is on your side - A
The rodents slept in three positions: lateral (side), prone (down), and supine (up).
The findings revealed the glymphatic transport was the most efficient in the lateral position compared to any other. This adds further support to the belief that sleep subserves a particular biological function of sleep — to “clean up” the mess that builds up while we’re awake. "It is interesting that the lateral sleep position is already the most popular in human and most animals — even in the wild — and it appears that we have adapted the lateral sleep position to most efficiently clear our brain of the metabolic waste products that built up while we are awake," said Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, in the news release.