Tehran University of Medical Sciences Traditional and Integrative Medicine 2476-5104 11 3 2026 10 01 2500 2500 Narges Kheirollahi Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Seyed Hamdollah Mosavat Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Department of Persian Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Seyyed Mohammad Bagher Fazljou Department of Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Reza Mohammadinasab Department of History of Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Ali Hossein Zeinalzadeh Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran 2025 10 28 2026 04 05 The brain uses the glymphatic system to clear harmful waste like amyloid-β, which is most active during sleep. Research shows that people with neurodegenerative diseases tend to sleep more in the supine position. The current study aimed to identify and synthesize evidence from traditional and modern medicine literature on the effect of supine sleep position on brain detoxification. This integrated review combines findings from two studies: a literature review on traditional Persian medicine from the 8th to 19th century and a rapid review of modern medical databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar, without time limits, covering various methodologies and including human and lab research. Eight Persian medical texts, including Alvaḥ al-Sehheh, Al-Qānūn fi’l-ṭebb, Khafi Alaei, Memory in Medical Knowledge and Pharmacy, Al-Aghraz al Tibbia val Mabahess al–Alaiia, Tebb Ghiasi (Ghiasieh), Mofarrehu al-Ghulub, and Elm Al-Abdan, offer consistent recommendations against prolonged supine sleeping positions. Five sources directly highlight the impaired brain detoxification associated with the supine position. Additionally, in review of modern medical databases 37 articles were identified, of which five were selected for detailed analysis after three rounds of evaluation. The findings from these articles indicated that sleeping in a supine position diminishes the function of the glymphatic system; whereas the lateral sleeping position enhances its function. This review sought to provide insight into the role of the supine sleeping position on brain detoxification. Combining traditional and modern medical knowledge may optimize evidence-based neurological nursing practice. https://jtim.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jtim/article/view/2500