Sleeping on your side could lower risk for Alzheimer's disease

A new study out of of Stony Brook University finds that how you sleep could help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's.

The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that a person's body position while they sleep could affect how toxins are flushed from the brain.

Scientists used rodents to test how different sleep positions affect the glymphatic system. The glymphatic system is the waste clearance system for the brain. Researchers found that lying on your side when you sleep is the most efficient position for toxins to flush through the system.

The study's author tells Yahoo Health, "The rodents who were in the lateral position cleared amyloid beta about 25 percent better than when in the prone or supine position."

Amyloid beta proteins contribute to brain plaque -- the development of which is one of the signs of Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia with symptoms that worsen over time, causing memory loss and behavioral problems. According to the Alzheimer's Association, the disease has no cure and affects 5.3 million Americans.

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