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Resting lying on your side is good for your brain
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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At the State University of New York, located in Stony Brook, a group of researchers stated that sleeping on the side is healthier, since this position allows you to effectively cleanse the brain of toxic substances and decay products, the excess of which can lead to serious consequences. Experts noted that toxins are one of the main factors that provoke neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
The research team was led by Helen Benveniste, and together with her colleagues, she studied the brain and the glymphatic system, which plays a key role in clearing the brain of waste products (the studies were carried out using an MRI scanner).
As a result of the work, scientists found that in the side-lying position, harmful substances were removed from the brain most effectively.
Benveniste's team used MRI to monitor the rodents for several years and study the glymphatic system, which allowed them to isolate the pathway through which cerebrospinal fluid is filtered through the brain and mixed with interstitial fluid. This effectively cleanses one of the main organs of waste products (similar to how the lymphatic system cleanses other organs).
The glymphatic system works at its peak at night, with its help the brain is cleared of harmful substances, in particular, beta-amyloids (which contribute to the development of Alzheimer's ) and tau proteins.
During the work, the scientists made the mice fall asleep, after which the animals were laid on their backs, stomachs, or sides and given an MRI. The work of Benveniste's group was confirmed by scientists from the University of Rochester, who used radioactive tracers and a fluorescent microscope in their work.
Both groups of researchers acknowledged that sleeping on your side helps cleanse your brain. Based on the results of this work, experts stated that not only the duration and quality of sleep affects rest and effective cleansing of one of the main organs, but special attention should also be paid to the position in which you sleep.
One of the employees of the University of Rochester, who took part in the research project, Maiken Nedergaard noted that both people and animals, in most cases, prefer to rest on their side. According to scientists, this is due to the process of removing harmful substances from the brain, and the body itself chooses a comfortable position for this.
There are different types of dementia that are associated to varying degrees with sleep problems, including insomnia and trouble falling asleep. As people age, the buildup of harmful substances in the brain, combined with sleep problems, can accelerate the process of memory loss in Alzheimer's, Nedergaard said.
The research team plans to conduct tests with a group of human volunteers, which will allow them to draw final conclusions and recommend the most favorable positions for a night's rest.
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