The Best Sleeping Position for Glymphatic Flow in the Brain

What can we do to prevent the decline in glymphatic brain filtration as we age?

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

[RXP]

As someone who has struggled to sleep in the past I’m glad i picked up endurance sports as a hobby.

[foxdylan]

How is it that tic tok and other channels get so many likes and this channel which has such great information is not smashing it?

[contagiousintelligence]

Conclusion: sleep on your right side. You’re welcome!

[ConniePretula]

Women are encouraged to sleep on their backs to reduce wrinkles on their face. I’ve never paid attention to that and switch between my left and right side. I’ll take the wrinkles to give me a healthier brain 😊

[scubadiva]

Well, I started sleeping on my left side consistently a few months ago when I got a new extra-firm mattress and could no longer sleep on my back; I'll try shifting to the right side—although the reason I've been sleeping on the left side is to muffle my good ear and have my tinnitus ear face up.

Having had a traumatic brain injury in the past, this video is of particular interest to me, and I tweeted it earlier today!

[WiseMindNutrition]

Super interesting! Many people tend to snore while sleeping on their backs, perhaps there is a link between oxygenation and sleep quality as well?
Love this research coming out - hopefully we will find more of the missing pieces to find real solutions

[LindaR]

"On your flank to not draw a blank." Love it. 😄

[inu]

The hilarity of people being able to sleep in one position at night blows my mind. I catch myself doing acrobatics some nights

[michelem]

I wonder if sleep apneas is the missing piece here? People tend to have more apnea events on their back. Apneas prevents people from going into deep sleep, which is when that brain clearing process can occur. People with apneas also sleep longer, because their bodies keep trying to get the deep/rem sleep they need.

[DanielFernandez-jvjx]

Thank you for this. It is a trade off possibly, considering that sleeping on one's right is worse for those who suffer from GERD (due to stomach positioning). Many over 65 have incompetent esophageal sphincters.

[tens]

What about an elevated head position, with something like a wedge pillow? Couldn't gravity help the glymphatic flow drainage process?

[asdfasdf]

yes thank you for this video! finally someone has scientifically parsed through the data and explained it. bless your soul Dr. Gregor.

[stokepusher]

I picked up on the point from elsewhere (can't think where at the moment) that we actually developed a tendency to sleep on our left side, or our less dominant arm side, so we had a fighting chance to swipe at a creature or attacker that may have woke us with our strongest arm. Yet still, I would imagine having you heart higher up would be an advantage for efficiency, so surely the less common left handed people would have dealt a better blow if this was any kind of evolutionary advantage? But then having your heart further down was maybe a safer place... actually that rings a bell

[weirdunclebob]

I used to snore a lot and suffered from sleep apnoea. About 15 years ago, I read somewhere on the web that sleeping on your side could help against this so I started sleeping on my side. I haven't woken myself up by snoring or sleep apnoea since. Easy fix!

I used to be groggy first thing after waking and get tired in the afternoon. I read a study in New Scientist a few decades ago that recommended between 6 and 7 hours sleep a night so I started having only about 6 to 6 ½ hours sleep. Since then I've been waking up feeling great and rarely feel tired through the day. If I do feel sleepy in the arvo, I have a siesta (if I'm able to!) which sorts that out. :)

[Apollo]

04:16 "Longer sleep duration is associated with signs of systemic inflammation"
Now does it mean that we try to cure ourself of inflammation through sleep?
Or is longer sleep causing the inflammation?

[secretariatgirl]

For a long time, I've been reading it's the left side...heart side! So, I start that way...but after my mid-sleep bathroom break, I seem to wake up on my right side!

[atfarmerbrown]

Sleeping on your back increases the likelihood of OSA (obstruction) and could easily be a confounder.

[Thaythichgiachanh]

Thank you very much for your valuable information ♥👍👍

[reejuvideo]

In Yoga for adults, they recommend sleeping on the left side. But if you wake up in the middle of night, then recommend sleeping on the right side. Never flat on the back or on stomach.

[VNOMOUS]

Where does resistance training and cardiovascular training factor into the claims surrounding oversleep? When you exercise, you absolutely need more recovery time in bed. 8-8.5hrs a night is required and cognitive sharpness is most certainly felt from the influx of blood and oxygen to the brain from exercise. I cant imagine being at higher risk of cognitive decline relative to sedimentary individuals who average 7hrs of sleep per night