What if the position you sleep in could lower your chance of getting Alzheimer's disease? Researchers said it is possible.
Lack of sleep can lead to health problems, but doctors said the position you sleep in could be just as important to keep certain medical issues at bay. This could include everything from heartburn, Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
"I probably get maybe six hours, maybe eight hours on the weekend if I get to sleep in and I don't work," said Emma Reynolds.
She said she knows how important sleep is, but isn't too concerned about the position she sleeps in. "It depends if I'm really sleepy or really tired. I crash in one position, and I don't move it all," Reynolds said.
Experts say sleeping on your left side can significantly increase the chance of having nightmares.
Doctors say sleeping on your right side can alleviate that problem.
Researchers at Stony Brook University found sleeping on either side may help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's.
Side-sleeping is thought to improve waste clearance from the brain, spine and nervous system. Those waste products are proteins linked to Alzheimer's.
For Reynolds, a bigger concern is premature aging in the skin from sleeping on her face.
"I try not to sleep on my stomach. My mom told me not to do that," she said.
Doctors also say to sleep on your right side if you have high blood pressure.
It gives the heart, which is in the left of your chest, more room. This could lower your lower blood pressure.
