Sleeping Position - Right Side Better Than Left?

I was reading EWOLD last night during a WBTB-WILD to try and focus my mind on LDs and I noticed that in a lot of LaBerge's induction methods he recommends lying either on one's back or right side. He does not give preferance the left side.

I read something a while ago (here on DV, I think) about how lying on a certain side increases blood flow to that half of the brain. I'm not sure of how much truth there is in that, but I believe it sounds fairly plausible. I know that the right side of the brain is generally thought to be more creative while the left is more logic-based, so would an increase of blood to the creative side perhaps boost vividness?

Surely there would also be some benefits in lying on the left?

Discuss :)

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).

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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).

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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?

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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?

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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.

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Originally Posted by Abra

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

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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.

I know its kinda mystical and all, but then again so is lucid dreaming. But I heard before that the right side of your body is the positive and left is the negative. Also mentioned was the preference of sleeping on the right side to induce a blessing while sleeping. I don't know for sure, but this topic sparked the memory.

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Originally Posted by aerosteel Zero

I know its kinda mystical and all, but then again so is lucid dreaming. But I heard before that the right side of your body is the positive and left is the negative. Also mentioned was the preference of sleeping on the right side to induce a blessing while sleeping. I don't know for sure, but this topic sparked the memory.

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1. There is nothing mystical about lucid dreaming alone. All it is, is a dream in which you realize you are dreaming.

2. I am afraid you are misinterpreting the right/left thing. The expression of disgust and fear (not depression, however) is associated with increased activity in the right side of the brain (if you experience these emotions, parts of this side will be more active). The expression of happiness and anger (approach-based emotions) are associated with left brain activity. (Depression is a lack of this left brain activity).

I didn't know what to make of it myself. I sleep on both sides and on my back, and it never seems to have an effect. I just thought I'd throw it out there to see if it made a difference to anyone else.

i think what side you think is best, is far more important than what side is best (placebo effect).

but all in all, make sure when trying a WBTB, that you go back to sleep on the same side that you woke up on, doing this will help you go back to sleep a lot quicker

This is what my creative dreaming book says about it:

"Ancient texts also advise the seeker of truth to sleep on the right side, presumably because this stimulates the body rythmns in a particular way; empirical evidence suggests that creative dreaming is indeed stimulated in this position. You make like to experiment for yourself as to the various postures and positions which achieve maxium lucidity."

-The Power of Creative Dreaming by Pamela Ball

Interesting...
Thanks!

When i lie on my left i can fell and hear my heart beat more, which can be distracting.

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Originally Posted by Zodionic

When i lie on my left i can fell and hear my heart beat more, which can be distracting.

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I like it when I can feel/hear my heartbeat when I'm trying to WILD. I would rather focus on my heartbeat than my breathing, since I'm not too good at breathing steadily when I think about it. The rest of the time I can just tune it out and fall asleep.