Inclined Bed Therapy - Sleeping With The Head End Of The Bed Elevated

[Blossom]

Thank you Ray Peat and all you lovely people on this amazing forum for your thoughts, experiences and most of all your kindness and friendship. A truly remarkable place to meet forward thinking people.

Thanks for contributing to the forum Andrew!
Do you have any thoughts on
arm position while sleeping inclined?

 

[Dolomite]

@Blossom I don't have any studies to back me up but I think if you can relax your arms and legs as straight as possible that is the best way. I have seen older people curled up with arthritic joints when sleeping. And it is recommended to owners of caged birds to provide perches of various sizes and shapes to help birds keep mobility in their feet.

 

[Blossom]

@Blossom I don't have any studies to back me up but I think if you can relax your arms and legs as straight as possible that is the best way. I have seen older people curled up with arthritic joints when sleeping. And it is recommended to owners of caged birds to provide perches of various sizes and shapes to help birds keep mobility in their feet.

Thanks Dolomite! I've got to figure out how to stop my tendency to put my arms under my pillow. I do it while sleeping. Maybe a better pillow would help.

 

[Dolomite]

You are welcome. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my limbs straight at first because I had a tendency to curl up. But after seeing people scrunched up I didn't want to be like that as I aged. I think this inclined bed has helped me even more because it feels so good to lie on my back and stretch out before falling asleep.

Charlie started a thread about how to fall asleep by relaxing the face, arms, and legs. It also fits in well with keeping your limbs straight and relaxed.

 

[Blossom]

You are welcome. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my limbs straight at first because I had a tendency to curl up. But after seeing people scrunched up I didn't want to be like that as I aged. I think this inclined bed has helped me even more because it feels so good to lie on my back and stretch out before falling asleep.

Charlie started a thread about how to fall asleep by relaxing the face, arms, and legs. It also fits in well with keeping your limbs straight and relaxed.

Yes, I remember that thread! Great idea. I just changed my pillow to one I had in the spare bedroom. Maybe that will help too. I think my arm position during sleep might have contributed to my cervical radiculopathy. That happened when I was on night shift so I wasn't sleeping well at the time either. Thanks for all your help!

 

[andrewkfletcher]

Yes, I remember that thread! Great idea. I just changed my pillow to one I had in the spare bedroom. Maybe that will help too. I think my arm position during sleep might have contributed to my cervical radiculopathy. That happened when I was on night shift so I wasn't sleeping well at the time either. Thanks for all your help!

When sleeping on one's side, it is difficult to have your arms straight. I tend to keep my hands below my heart. I used to put my hands under the pillow, but realised quickly that this is not a good idea when sleeping inclined, so did Jude. I'm experimenting with sleeping for short periods on my tummy, which I always did when I was a youngster. This also allows me to sleep with arms stretched down. I find also that this for some reason helps breathing more deeply. (No pillow when doing this.)

Sleeping with hands near pillow on IBT may cause numbness and pins and needles, which also proves the theory that nerves need gravity in the right direction to function.

 

[Blossom]

When sleeping on one's side, it is difficult to have your arms straight. I tend to keep my hands below my heart. I used to put my hands under the pillow, but realised quickly that this is not a good idea when sleeping inclined, so did Jude. I'm experimenting with sleeping for short periods on my tummy, which I always did when I was a youngster. This also allows me to sleep with arms stretched down. I find also that this for some reason helps breathing more deeply. (No pillow when doing this.)

Sleeping with hands near pillow on IBT may cause numbness and pins and needles, which also proves the theory that nerves need gravity in the right direction to function.

Thanks for the explanation Andrew. I must clarify that the cervical radiculopathy happened several months before I started IBT and that sleeping this way has resolved the lingering pain. As mostly a stomach and side sleeper I can't wait to try changing my arm position to see if it helps resolve the numbness I have in two fingers from the condition. Thanks again.

 

[andrewkfletcher]

I have seen older people curled up with arthritic joints when sleeping. And it is recommended to owners of caged birds to provide perches of various sizes and shapes to help birds keep mobility in their feet.

We have all seen people in their autumn life walking doubled over and in obvious discomfort, some almost bent at a right angle from the waist. No doubt due to sleeping curled up in bed to keep warm or to ease pain. I doubt that this would happen on an inclined bed due to the gentle traction, which would align the spine while we sleep. Scoliosis and Dowagers hump have been reported to have been corrected with the bed inclined. Though it would be a long slow process for a condition like this, that has been a problem for many years, to be corrected.

 

[Blossom]

Last night I woke up halfway through the night and read @andrewkfletcher's reply about arm position. A couple nights ago I worked a 12 hour night shift so that normally throws off my sleeping pattern for several days. I got back to sleep within a half hour, slept four more hours and successfully kept my arms below heart level. I hugged a small pillow around my waist and that seemed to do the trick. I feel great this morning.
With the help of an eye mask, ear plugs and now IBT I'm hopeful that I'm finally correcting (without drugs!) the dreadful sleep issues I've dealt with for the past 20 years that all started with shift work.
Thanks @andrewkfletcher, @x-ray peat for starting this thread and everyone who has contributed!

 

[andrewkfletcher]

NASA and others have finally come clean about how gravity drives all of our vital functions: The therapeutic Benefits of Gravity in Space and on Earth

"
A brain damaged at birth may require hypergravity, a higher intensity of gravity stimulus, before a child's brain becomes programmed to respond to direction and acceleration and eventually learn to walk. Increasing gravity could modify or alter his perception of it prior to responding, by triggering gravity sensors and brain blood flow. This would mean that rehabilitation exercises in children with cerebral palsy should be more effective if done in the upright position in a way that the body may experience some load, even if the child had to be supported by a harness. Alternately, the movement therapy could be done on a centrifuge.

Furthermore identifying the thresholds at which each body system perceives, how much, how often, how long the gravity stimulus is needed and in which direction it should be presented for maximum effectiveness, using hypergravity might be proved to be a potential new therapeutic approach of children with disabilities, and elderly adding another terrestrial application of Space research."

This appears to confirm what happened to the girl with cerebral palsy who for 12 years had been unable to move and yet regained control of her limbs using IBT and walked at school after many months of avoiding sleeping flat.

 

[tankasnowgod]

NASA and others have finally come clean about how gravity drives all of our vital functions: The therapeutic Benefits of Gravity in Space and on Earth

"
A brain damaged at birth may require hypergravity, a higher intensity of gravity stimulus, before a child's brain becomes programmed to respond to direction and acceleration and eventually learn to walk. Increasing gravity could modify or alter his perception of it prior to responding, by triggering gravity sensors and brain blood flow. This would mean that rehabilitation exercises in children with cerebral palsy should be more effective if done in the upright position in a way that the body may experience some load, even if the child had to be supported by a harness. Alternately, the movement therapy could be done on a centrifuge.

Furthermore identifying the thresholds at which each body system perceives, how much, how often, how long the gravity stimulus is needed and in which direction it should be presented for maximum effectiveness, using hypergravity might be proved to be a potential new therapeutic approach of children with disabilities, and elderly adding another terrestrial application of Space research."

This appears to confirm what happened to the girl with cerebral palsy who for 12 years had been unable to move and yet regained control of her limbs using IBT and walked at school after many months of avoiding sleeping flat.

One of the most interesting parts of that article, to me-

"Riding a bicycle, speeding in a fast car, riding a roller coaster, flying in an airplane, whizzing downhill on a sled or being strapped to a centrifuge can all provide the stimulation of hypergravity."

Similar to Roller Coaster therapy for kidney stones, ride the Gravitron to help with building muscle?

Andrew, what are your thoughts on the bicycle mention, beyond just exercise?

 

[andrewkfletcher]

We know that flying in a commercial long flight airplane causes deep vein thrombosis and oedema, riding downhill on a cycle or in a car would do little, only when reaching the bottom of the hill and climbing up during the transition, would increase the G force, albeit momentarily. Acceleration would have an affect, but increased G force in fighter pilots can cause them to black out, so not ideal. The roller coaster with it's acceleration and deceleration and many jolts and turns would alter the force constantly and I can see how this could dislodge stones. A centrifuge has been shown to boost plant growth and improve survival rates of small species in space flight.

An inclined bed however, boosts the fluids in the body all night long, without the need for exertion or trauma.

 

[rebuke]

Ive tried this for tbe past 3 days. I fall asleep easier but also wake easily as well. Which is interesting because i used to be a heavy sleeper and insominac. Anyone have a similat experience?

 

[Blossom]

Ive tried this for tbe past 3 days. I fall asleep easier but also wake easily as well. Which is interesting because i used to be a heavy sleeper and insominac. Anyone have a similat experience?

Yes, I don't seem to sleep as deep. I don't mind though because I wake up feeling more restored, refreshed and with far fewer aches and pains.

 

[tankasnowgod]

Ive tried this for tbe past 3 days. I fall asleep easier but also wake easily as well. Which is interesting because i used to be a heavy sleeper and insominac. Anyone have a similat experience?

I do find that I sometimes wake at a 2 hour-ish interval, and usually right after having a dream.

 

[andrewkfletcher]

I wonder if this was also a way to keep us safe by enabling us to be more alert while sleeping. This would mean that the brain is kept active during sleep on an incline, enabling us to retain our ability to hear noises and react from slumber. When we first tilted our bed back in 94, this was one of the first observations. We were more easily awakened due to sleeping lighter and more alert and responsive on awakening.

 

[yerrag]

I could also say that I've been sleeping less. I would say instead of 7 hours it's only been 5 hours for the past week. I still wake up and pee after about twice each night, but I've been this way before I started IBT.

I'm not tired for the less sleep I'm getting, so that is a big plus. I could not believe it though, so I tried to nap to catch up, but I wasn't able to nap mid-day. Normally, when I have consecutive nights of this little sleep time-wise, I would actually feel under the weather. My allergies would act up, either my sneezing often, or by actually having rhinitis. So far, I'm keeping up.

I was thinking of fasting for a whole day just to see if my glycogen reserves are holding up despite less sleep, but I don't think I have to. If I don't sneeze and I don't get rhinitis, or I just don't feel weird in a way that relates to low blood sugar, or if I don't get a bit teary-eyed, my blood sugar is holding up and my glycogen reserves are being used to keep my blood sugar in range.

My blood pressure, which I check regularly during the day, is also an indicator of a low blood sugar condition, and it's been acting normal. Normal to be though, is that my bp is lower after a meal, and higher the farther I am from having a meal.

I'll resume using my sleep monitoring program on my cellphone to further check on how much light, deep, and REM sleep I'm getting, as well as how much I snore.

Since sleep programs don't take into account the effect of IBT, I'll just have to ignore the messages saying my sleep quality has been poor. I am doing poorly though on having a regular sleep and wake time.

 

[Blossom]

I was thinking of fasting for a whole day just to see if my glycogen reserves are holding up despite less sleep, but I don't think I have to. If I don't sneeze and I don't get rhinitis, or I just don't feel weird in a way that relates to low blood sugar, or if I don't get a bit teary-eyed, my blood sugar is holding up and my glycogen reserves are being used to keep my blood sugar in range.

I hadn't considered the glycogen reserve angle but I noticed when I did a day long spiritual fast recently it went really well.

 

[yerrag]

I hadn't considered the glycogen reserve angle but I noticed when I did a day long spiritual fast recently it went really well.

That's a good confirmation. When I was hypoglycemic and not knowing I was, I used to wonder how people can fast at all.

 

[Blossom]

That's a good confirmation. When I was hypoglycemic and not knowing I was, I used to wonder how people can fast at all.

I've wondered the same thing. The most I've ever done is intermittent fasting years ago and it was not good. In the past I never felt like my health was strong enough to fast so I was pleasantly surprised that it went so well. I still don't think it's necessary or optimal for my own personal health.