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  • SciShow is supported by Skillshare.

  • Right now Skillshare is offering SciShow viewers

  • two months of unlimited access to over 20,000 classes for free.

  • Every night, when you turn out your light and pull up the covers,

  • there's a good chance you settle into the same sleeping position.

  • If you're like most people,

  • you sleep on your side, with your knees tucked up in the fetal position.

  • But lots of people also sleep on their back, sprawled out on their stomach,

  • or twisted up around three pillows and a stuffed animal.

  • But is one of those positions better than the others?

  • There's a lot of pseudoscience out there, but the real answer is... well, it depends.

  • If you're dozing off without a problem and not waking up with weird aches and pains,

  • your setup is probably okay.

  • But if you have some complaints, the way you sleep could be the issue.

  • For example, sleeping on your right side seems to aggravate heartburn.

  • None of the sample sizes were huge, but a handful of studies have shown that people

  • lying on their right side after eating high-fat meals had higher levels of acid in their esophagus.

  • We don't really know why that is, but some scientists think sleeping on that side

  • relaxes the valve connecting your stomach and esophagus

  • the valve that normally keeps stomach acid where it belongs.

  • So if you struggle with heartburn, it might be worth rolling over.

  • As a bonus, sleeping on your left side may also improve circulation,

  • although focused studies haven't really looked at it.

  • Your body returns blood to your heart from the right side,

  • so sleeping on the left means those vessels aren't being compressed by your body weight.

  • Left-side sleeping is also recommended for people who are pregnant.

  • Better blood-flow means more blood and nutrients to the placenta.

  • It also keeps the growing uterus from compressing the liver, which is on the right.

  • Sleeping on your side might also be good for your brain

  • at least, if we're anything like mice.

  • Using MRI scans, a 2015 study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that eight rats

  • sleeping on their right side cleared waste from their brains more efficiently than

  • seven rats on their stomach or nine on their back.

  • Side-sleeping is the most common in mice, just like it is with humans,

  • and the authors speculated that animals may have evolved to sleep like this

  • because it's the best way to clear brain waste.

  • But until we replicate this study in people,

  • it's probably not worth shaking up your routine.

  • Now, side sleeping has its pros and cons,

  • but if there's any position that's the worst, it's probably sleeping on your stomach.

  • This puts pressure on your entire body and doesn't let the spine sit naturally.

  • And if you turn your face sideways to breathe, that also awkwardly contorts your neck.

  • So, if you wake up feeling sore, and you sleep on your stomach,

  • it might be something to think about.

  • If this is really your jam, though, a flatter pillow can at least help reduce neck strain.

  • On the flip sideliterallysleeping on your back puts your spine in a neutral position,

  • so it can be good for back pain.

  • It also keeps your head elevated on a pillow,

  • where gravity can keep stomach acid out of your esophagus and cut down on heartburn.

  • But sleeping on your back with your head on a pillow also makes your neck flex forward,

  • which tightens your airway and makes it harder for air to pass through.

  • That can make snoring and sleep apnea

  • a condition that causes breathing to stop and start during sleepmore severe.

  • Ultimately, though, the best sleeping position seems to depend on the person.

  • If you're pregnant or snore, some might be more beneficial than others.

  • But in general, if you're comfortable,

  • whatever sends you off to dreamland best is probably perfectly fine.

  • And one great way I've found to get a solid night's sleep

  • is to be tired from learning and trying new things.

  • Skillshare is perfect for that.

  • With over 20,000 classes, you'll never run out of things to learn,

  • but the classes still feel small and personal.

  • Through Skillshare you have access to teachers who are experts in their field,

  • like best-selling author and award-winning educator Peggy Dean,

  • who teaches calligraphy, botanical line drawing, and how to price your work as a freelancer.

  • Just to name a few.

  • Skillshare is always adding new features, like Skillshare Talks

  • where teachers pull back the curtain on how they approach their work.

  • One reason we at SciShow connected with Peggy Dean was because of her Skillshare Talk about

  • how when you're interested in something, whether it's fire dancing, or the best position to sleep in,

  • you just want to research and learn more and more.

  • So to get 2 months of Skillshare membership for free and to check out Peggy Dean

  • and all the other great teachers, click on the link in the description.

  • And let us know what classes you take!

SciShow is supported by Skillshare.

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