Thread: Sleeping Position - Right Side Better Than Left?

Hmm it's an interesting idea put not particularly plausible.

Why would he recommend sleeping on your right side or your back? Surely any benefits to increased blood flow would be negated by lying on your back?

I can never fall asleep on my back/left side. My inner ear is messed up so when I lay on my right side I get off balance. I am forced to sleep on my right side

But when you sleep on your right side, wouldn't you be cutting off some circulation because of the pressure?

I think the idea is that the blood is more like to flow through in the creative side of your brain due to gravity (as when you lie on your side, it would be the side closest to the ground).

Originally Posted by Goldney

I think the idea is that the blood is more like to flow through in the creative side of your brain due to gravity (as when you lie on your side, it would be the side closest to the ground).

Oh yeah, never thought of that.

I think that it doesn't matter. People measure brain activity through increased blood flow, under the assumption that increased brain activity in an area prompts more blood to be sent to that area. That doesn't mean that if you increase blood flow in an area, that area will suddenly become more active.

Even if that was the case, wouldn't you want more blood in the left side of your brain? Especially when people say this is the "logical side."

I say, sleep on whatever side is most comfortable. This is by far a greater factor in WILD success. =]

I would also figure the more comfortable side would be the better side to sleep on. But theoretically would it be more beneficial to sleep on your stomach so that your keeping blood from your cerebellum? If the blood flow idea works then more blood flow to the cerebellum could cause a better chance of waking yourself up by moving wouldn't it?

Originally Posted by CatBus

I would also figure the more comfortable side would be the better side to sleep on. But theoretically would it be more beneficial to sleep on your stomach so that your keeping blood from your cerebellum? If the blood flow idea works then more blood flow to the cerebellum could cause a better chance of waking yourself up by moving wouldn't it?

Again. The current consensus is that brain activity brings higher blood flow, not the other way around.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the brainstem is responsible for controlling sleep paralysis, not the cerebellum. And cutting off circulation there isn't a good idea.

Originally Posted by Abra

I say, sleep on whatever side is most comfortable. This is by far a greater factor in WILD success. =]

Indeed, I was waiting for someone to say this. Perhaps LaBerge found sleeping on his left side really uncomfortable and mistakenly assumed a correlation between sleeping on his left and not having LDs due to blood flow.

I remember him mentioning only the right side and back. I thought it was a bit strange but didn't really think about it much more than that.

I doubt it matters what side you sleep on. Maybe it depends on right-handed vs left-handed people. -tries to think of reasoning behind that theory and fails- Oh well.