Research Reveals Which Sleep Position Increases Alzheimer's Risk

Research reveals sleep positions that tend to reduce the risk of Alzheimers or dementia.Photo byImage by Htc Erl from Pixabay

A study presented at the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference suggests that sleeping on your back may be linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Back sleeping, also known as the supine position, has been linked to neurodegenerative disease for several years. One of the first experiments using mice found that sleeping in the supine position could contribute to neurodegeneration.

The latest study involved around 100 relatively healthy people to serve as a control group plus some 200 participants with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers noted that back sleeping leads to conditions that reduce the body’s ability to effectively clear out neurotoxins. Neurotoxins, produced by the brain during the day, typically get flushed out during sleep. The natural process starts to become less efficient around midlife.

Experts note that reducing supine sleep is certainly possible if that’s something you’re interested in.

One way stop back sleeping habit is to encourage side sleeping. A tip would be placing pillows on either side of your body that you can hug while you sleep.

Another idea is to place a tennis ball under your midsection. This will cause mild discomfort when you attempt to sleep on your back, helping you to switch from supine to side.

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