Sleeping on your side -- as opposed to your back or tummy

Sleeping on your side -- as opposed to your back or tummy -- appears to more effectively remove brain waste and so could help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurological diseases, according to researchers at Stony Brook University. While we sleep, our brains are actively in clean-up mode, sweeping up the junk and gunk that accumulate while we are awake. The Stony Brook study found that sleeping on the side is the best position to most efficiently remove waste from the brain. Brain waste includes amyloid and tau proteins, chemicals that negatively affect brain processes if they build up and could contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions. Side sleeping, also called lateral sleeping, is the most common sleep position for both humans and animals, including animals in the wild. We may have evolved this way simply because it is the best position for the brain.