A restful night of sleep is essential to ensure a healthy body and mind, yet waking up with sore back muscles or discomfort is a common problem for many people. While sleeping on one's back has long been described as the best position, recent findings may indicate that sleeping on the side is an even better option for preventing back pain and general wellness. However, to benefit from side sleeping, proper alignment and posture are essential.

Side sleeping has been noted for its potential health benefits, especially in older adults and those with higher body mass indices. It tends to improve spinal alignment when done correctly, reducing pressure on the lower back, shoulders, and neck. Misalignment negates these benefits, thus the importance of proper technique.

In addition, side sleeping is not just a comfortable position. It is a practical position that helps in relieving a number of health problems, from back pain to sleep apnea. If one understands the subtleties of this posture, he or she can make informed adjustments to their sleep routines.

Benefits of Sleeping on Your Side

1. Relief from Back and Joint Pain

Side sleeping will help preserve the natural curvature of the spine, reducing pressure on the lower back and hips. This is also helpful to those who have chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, as it often affects wide-ranging musculoskeletal pain. A pillow placed between the knees will also aid in alignment as it prevents hip and knee joints from collapsing.

2. Reduced Snoring and Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Obstructive sleep apnea, characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep, can lead to serious complications like hypertension and heart disease. Sleeping on your side minimizes airway obstructions, thereby reducing snoring and improving oxygen flow. This can significantly enhance sleep quality and overall health.

3. Improved Digestive Health

Side sleeping, particularly on the left side, helps support optimal digestive function. This position allows for natural waste flow and minimizes the occurrence of gastrointestinal issues like acid reflux, heartburn, and bloating. In individuals with constipation, side sleeping can help encourage better bowel movements through smoother intestinal activity.

4. Better Brain Health

Another lesser-known benefit of side sleeping is its effect on brain health. Researchers indicate that this position can help the brain perform its natural detoxification more effectively by removing waste products from the brain during sleep. This process, known as glymphatic drainage, is very important for cognitive function and may help to lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Potential Drawbacks of Sleeping on your Side

Although the benefits of side sleeping are great, this position has some disadvantages. The most prominent one is shoulder pain. Long-term sleeping on one side can cause the corresponding shoulder to sink into the mattress and cause misalignment and pain.

To avoid this:

- A medium-firm mattress should be chosen, which will provide support.

- Use a firm pillow to keep the head aligned with the shoulders.

- Consider alternating sides throughout the night to prevent prolonged pressure on one shoulder.

Another issue is neck pain, often caused by tucking the chin into the chest or improper head placement. Keeping the head neutral and in line with the spine is key to avoiding discomfort.

Left Side vs. Right Side: Which Is Better?

Many tout left side sleeping as the healthier of the two due to some special benefits: pressure on the heart is alleviated, and digestion is aided as stomach acids are better permitted to flow naturally. But on the right side can sometimes be helpful, especially if an individual is a chronic lower back pain or suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Ultimately, the best side for sleeping is a personal need for health. Try both sides and listen to what your body is saying for how it feels to best sleep on one side or the other.

Best Practices to Maximize Side Sleeping

A person can maximize the benefits of side sleeping by minimizing discomfort by following some guidelines.

Choose the right mattress and pillow: The ideal support and comfort is given by a medium-firm mattress. Pair it with a firm pillow to keep the neck and spine aligned.

• Mind your alignment: Lying on your side, ensure that your ears are in line with your shoulders, and your chin remains neutral. Do not tuck your chin into your chest.
• Support Your Knees: Placing a pillow between your knees prevents hip and knee joint collapse, and this maintains a good spinal curvature.
• Lifting Your Knees Slightly: Slightly bending your knees towards your chest helps in reducing the pressure exerted on the lower back.
• Monitor Hand and Arm Placement: Keep your arms below your face and neck, parallel to your body, and avoid strain.

While side sleeping has many benefits, sometimes your body needs to change positions at night. Alternating from one side to the other or even just briefly lying on your back can help avoid pressure points and ensure overall comfort. Stomach sleeping should be avoided because it puts too much stress on the spine and internal organs.

It's not just a comfortable way to sleep; it is more proactive about your better health. From alleviating back pain to improving digestion and brain health, the list is too long. Adopting proper alignment techniques and investing in the right sleep accessories makes it transformable in your night routine.

Whether you're a long-time side sleeper or have just begun, keep in mind that tiny changes may make a huge difference. It's not about being right or wrong, but instead, applying the correct techniques to get you feeling fresh, pain-free, and ready to go after a full night's sleep.

Laughing gas or nitrous oxide is making headlines not for its role in dental clinics or surgical procedures, but as a potential treatment for depression. Once only considered a part of short-term anaesthetics used to relieve pain or anxiety during surgical procedures, like childbirth, nitrous oxide is now gaining attention in the world of mental health research for its potential to alleviate symptoms of depression, especially in people who have not responded to traditional treatments.

Even A Low Dose Of Laughing Gas Provides Rapid Relief From Depression

Several studies in recent years have shown that even a low dose of laughing gas can provide rapid relief from depressive symptoms. Unlike conventional antidepressants, which can take weeks to show results, nitrous oxide has demonstrated an almost immediate impact in some patients. Scientists believe this fast-acting effect could be a game-changer in managing treatment-resistant depression.

How Was The Research Conducted?

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago conducted clinical trials on people with severe depression who had not responded well to typical medications. Participants were given a single one-hour inhalation session of nitrous oxide. Remarkably, many reported relief from symptoms within just a few hours, and in some cases, the effects lasted for several days.

Laughing gas is thought to work differently from traditional antidepressants, which usually act on serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Nitrous oxide instead affects the NMDA receptors in the brain, which are involved in mood regulation and cognitive functions. This is similar to how ketamine—another fast-acting antidepressant—works. However, nitrous oxide has the added advantage of being less intense and more manageable in terms of side effects.

Patients who received nitrous oxide in the study experienced a noticeable reduction in their depression scores, even when given low concentrations of the gas. Researchers found that a 25% concentration of nitrous oxide was nearly as effective as the 50% dose but caused fewer side effects, such as nausea or dissociation.

Nitrous Oxide Has Advantage Over Others-Its Long Term Medical Use

One of the reasons nitrous oxide is being seriously explored as a depression treatment is its accessibility and long-standing safety profile. It has been used in medical settings for over 150 years, primarily for pain relief. Its safety, low cost, and ease of administration make it an appealing option for rapid intervention in psychiatric emergencies, particularly for those at risk of suicide.

Still, experts caution that laughing gas is not a magic bullet. While it shows promise, more research is needed to understand its long-term effects and how often it can be safely administered without causing dependency or neurological issues. It also needs to be administered under medical supervision. Mental health professionals are optimistic, though. With increasing cases of depression worldwide and many patients not responding to current treatments, the medical community is on the lookout for new and effective therapies. Laughing gas may not be the ultimate cure, but it represents a promising step forward.

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are making significant progress toward developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that could help people with tetraplegia (paralysis) restore their lost sense of touch. In the new study published in Nature Communications, participants explored digitally represented objects using an artificially created sense of touch. Through the interface, they described sensations as vivid as the warm fur of a purring cat, the smooth, rigid surface of a door key, and the cool roundness of an apple. This collaborative effort between the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Chicago represents a major step forward in neuroprosthetics.

Unlike earlier experiments—where artificial touch often felt like undifferentiated buzzing or tingling—this study introduced a novel feature: BCI users had control over the details of the electrical stimulation that generated their tactile sensations. By enabling participants to personalise their sensory input, scientists were able to help them recreate intuitive and meaningful experiences.

"Touch is an important part of nonverbal social communication; it is a sensation that is personal and that carries a lot of meaning," said lead author Ceci Verbaarschot, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurological surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Texas-Southwestern and a former postdoctoral fellow at Pitt’s Rehab Neural Engineering Labs. "Designing their own sensations allows BCI users to make interactions with objects feel more realistic and meaningful, which gets us closer to creating a neuroprosthetic that feels pleasant and intuitive to use."

BCI converts Brain Activity Into Signals

A brain-computer interface converts brain activity into signals that can replace, restore, or enhance bodily functions normally controlled by the brain, such as movement. BCIs can also be used to restore lost sensations by directly stimulating the brain, essentially bypassing damaged neural pathways. Over the last decade, Pitt researchers have shown that a paralysed individual can feel sensation using a mind-controlled robotic arm. However, those sensations lacked nuance—touching a person’s hand felt no different than grasping a hard rock.

In this new study, researchers moved closer to creating a realistic, intuitive sense of touch. BCI users were able to "design" different tactile experiences for objects displayed on a screen and could identify objects based on sensation alone—though not perfectly. Participants, all of whom had lost hand sensation due to spinal cord injuries, were challenged to match stimulation settings with sensations like petting a cat or touching an apple, key, towel, or toast.

Sensations Were Subjective

Describing their sensations in rich and subjective detail, one participant noted a cat felt "warm and tappy," while another described it as "smooth and silky." Even when images were removed and participants had to rely solely on touch, they correctly identified the objects 35% of the time—better than chance. "We designed this study to shoot for the moon and made it into orbit," said senior author Robert Gaunt, Ph.D., associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Pitt. "Participants had a really hard task... and they were quite successful.

Vanellope Hope Wilkins made medical history in 2017 when she was born with her heart outside her body—a condition so rare it's described by experts as "one of a kind." Recently, she underwent a procedure wherein doctors split open her ribs to insert her heart back into her chest cavity. After the successful operation, they shared how they performed the seemingly impossible surgeries.

Born in the UK with a condition known as ectopia cordis, Vanellope underwent three major operations at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester to place her heart back inside her chest. The hospital says it knows of no other case in the UK where a baby with this condition has survived. Now seven years old, Vanellope has undergone groundbreaking surgery to reconstruct a protective cage around her heart—using her own ribs. Since then, she has worn a brace around her chest for protection.

She lives with complex medical needs and requires one-to-one care 24 hours a day. Vanellope is autistic and non-verbal, but according to her mother, Naomi Findlay, 39, from Clifton, Nottingham, she is "a happy little thing" who "brings a lot of joy and happiness." Speaking to the BBC, Naomi said she is extremely proud of the fact that her daughter has not only survived her rare medical condition but also achieved. "It makes me extremely proud to see how far she's come, what she's overcome, and what she's achieving. It's a real journey of strength and bravery... she's so brave," Naomi said, adding that saying goodbye at the theatre door before surgery is always emotional.

How Was It Done?

The surgical team carefully decided that the timing was right for this next step. Vanellope was placed on a bypass machine, which temporarily took over the function of her heart and lungs. This allowed her heart to deflate, making it easier to perform the “very tricky” procedure.

Surgeons first detached part of her heart—the right ventricular outflow tract—and the pulmonary artery from where it had fused to her skin. Then came the bilateral rib osteotomy, a procedure involving breaking her ribs on both sides. The ribs were then repositioned to create a protective cage around her heart.

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