Brain & Sleeping Positions

 

I heard some cockamamie story about the fetus being short of oxygen depending on the mother’s sleeping position. Can you believe that?

 If you accept the definition of cockamamie as ridiculous or implausible, then it is perhaps an unfortunate word for your question. According to Rachel Salas, MD, associate professor neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, as a person becomes older and has more medical issues, sleep position can become positive or negative. It can impact much younger humans, however. Even a fetus. A side-sleeping position tends to be the most common, also called a lateral sleeping position by sleep scientists. It has been found to have some benefits. There is a left lateral and a right lateral option, however. Here are a few study findings.

 1.    Sleeping on one’s left side, for example:

 Maximizes circulation for mother and fetus, especially during the 3^rd trimester (lying on one’s back can actually be dangerous for the fetus even for short periods of time)

May clear brain waste more efficiently 

Helps lessen gastric reflux for those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

 May help to alleviate or reduce snoring

 2.    Sleeping on one’s right side tends to be a better option for those with congestive heart failure 

Whatever position you choose, sleep in a dark room to avoid interfering with melatonin production (e.g., black-out drapes or soft eye patches). Open the drapes or go outside in the morning and allow sunlight to enter your eyes to reset your internal circadian clock.