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

[Blossom]

@charlie, @andrewkfletcher and @x-ray peat, I had to abbreviate Inclined bed therapy to IBT so the additional wording could fit into the title.

 

[noordinary]

@andrewkfletcher what are your thoughts on sleeping direction: like for example head facing south and legs facing north?

 

[encerent]

i noticed that babies like to sleep inclined, from mothers' arms to rockers and cradles which are often inclined

 

[andrewkfletcher]

@andrewkfletcher what are your thoughts on sleeping direction: like for example head facing south and legs facing north?

Bed Polarity and Inclined Bed Therapy using a mobile Compass App, a new experiment - Inclined Bed Therapy IBT - Restore & Support Your Health

 

[andrewkfletcher]

i noticed that babies like to sleep inclined, from mothers' arms to rockers and cradles which are often inclined

Yes your absolutely correct. Most premature babies are inclined in incubators and no doubt benefit from it, and yet are placed flat when they leave the hospital? Bizarre

 

[noordinary]

Yes your absolutely correct. Most premature babies are inclined in incubators and no doubt benefit from it, and yet are placed flat when they leave the hospital? Bizarre

Wow, that is true, i looked up premature babys’ cribs and they are indeed inclined. @Blossom is that how it is in the hospitals?

 

[Blossom]

Wow, that is true, i looked up premature babys’ cribs and they are indeed inclined. @Blossom is that how it is in the hospitals?

Yes, although I haven't worked with babies since the early 2000's. It's known to help breathing and reflux.

 

[Blossom]

It reminds me of how we are taught to fear sodium/salt but one of the first things you'll get in the ER is a sodium chloride IV.
It's okay I guess if you're getting it from a hospital but don't try it at home.

 

[andrewkfletcher]

Yes, although I haven't worked with babies since the early 2000's. It's known to help breathing and reflux.

There are published papers on intensive care unit acquired pneumonia, that clearly state raising the patients bed as suggested lowers the risk from this.

Failure To Keep Bed Elevated To Blame For Nursing Home Patient’s Death From Aspiration Pneumonia

 

[Blossom]

There are published papers on intensive care unit acquired pneumonia, that clearly state raising the patients bed as suggested lowers the risk from this.

Failure To Keep Bed Elevated To Blame For Nursing Home Patient’s Death From Aspiration Pneumonia

Indeed. One of the things we constantly monitor for people on ventilators is that the head of the bed be kept at 30 degrees to help prevent pneumonia.

 

[yerrag]

After 4 days sleeping at a 7" incline on my queen bed, I'm still evaluating the effects from a blood pressure standpoint. I had 2 days waking up to a much higher blood pressure, and 2 days waking up to much lower pressure. As far as heart rate goes, I didn't notice much change, waking up at around 56 bpm. I seemed to require less sleep, as I was waking up before my 7-hour timed AC shuts off; my unforced sleep would be going down from 7 to 6 hours. I just didn't know if I should continue to sleep, or take that as a sign that I should rise and shine already. I don't feel lack of energy though during the day. Perhaps I'm getting better sleep?

I had a protein/creatinine urine test taken the day right after starting IBT. My creatinine levels were much higher at 20.46 mmol/L. Previous readings have ranged from 8-10. I was concerned about this jump, then realized that it's actually a good thing since it meant more waste was being excreted.

I'm also thinking that even if my blood pressure went up at times sleeping IBT, I should take it as a good sign. Since IBT improves blood circulation, it must also be increasing tissue oxygenation. The higher blood pressure only meant that my kidneys are resisting the improved tissue oxygenation, by constricting its arterioles. It's doing this because it needs to maintain a level of hypoxia in my kidney tissues in order to induce the production of uric acid. My kidneys needed to be protected by this antioxidant to protect it from free radicals arising from lead toxicity.

Anyway, the issue resolves itself during the day as my blood pressure comes down steadily that by the end of the day it is much lower.

I'm keeping this practice of sleeping this way. I'm just sleeping facing south and not north though. I may move the bed around and see how it goes.

Or better still, I'll just raise the foot of the bed and sleep on the wrong side. This way, I'll be sleeping heading north.

I almost failed to mention that I wanted to try this to improve detox of lead from my kidneys. Since I'm seeing improved waste excretion in the form of creatinine, I would expect there would be improved lead detox coming out of IBT as well.

 

[andrewkfletcher]

After 4 days sleeping at a 7" incline on my queen bed, I'm still evaluating the effects from a blood pressure standpoint. I had 2 days waking up to a much higher blood pressure, and 2 days waking up to much lower pressure. As far as heart rate goes, I didn't notice much change, waking up at around 56 bpm. I seemed to require less sleep, as I was waking up before my 7-hour timed AC shuts off; my unforced sleep would be going down from 7 to 6 hours. I just didn't know if I should continue to sleep, or take that as a sign that I should rise and shine already. I don't feel lack of energy though during the day. Perhaps I'm getting better sleep?

I had a protein/creatinine urine test taken the day right after starting IBT. My creatinine levels were much higher at 20.46 mmol/L. Previous readings have ranged from 8-10. I was concerned about this jump, then realized that it's actually a good thing since it meant more waste was being excreted.

I'm also thinking that even if my blood pressure went up at times sleeping IBT, I should take it as a good sign. Since IBT improves blood circulation, it must also be increasing tissue oxygenation. The higher blood pressure only meant that my kidneys are resisting the improved tissue oxygenation, by constricting its arterioles. It's doing this because it needs to maintain a level of hypoxia in my kidney tissues in order to induce the production of uric acid. My kidneys needed to be protected by this antioxidant to protect it from free radicals arising from lead toxicity.

Anyway, the issue resolves itself during the day as my blood pressure comes down steadily that by the end of the day it is much lower.

I'm keeping this practice of sleeping this way. I'm just sleeping facing south and not north though. I may move the bed around and see how it goes.

Or better still, I'll just raise the foot of the bed and sleep on the wrong side. This way, I'll be sleeping heading north.

I almost failed to mention that I wanted to try this to improve detox of lead from my kidneys. Since I'm seeing improved waste excretion in the form of creatinine, I would expect there would be improved lead detox coming out of IBT as well.

Interesting observations, thank you. There is no doubt that dense substances, including heavy metals will be excreted more efficiently with the bed inclined. The movement of which will change blood pressure as it moves through the vessels. It will also drag other molecules along with it, including salts and no doubt excess protein.

It may be worth lowering your bed to a 5" rise for several weeks to ease into IBT
Why would you suspect that you have lead in your body?

Re oxygenation, Dr Richard Massey monitored his blood oxygen levels and was surprised to see his sats improve by simply changing his posture.

Your right about not needing to sleep as long when inclined. Generally when we wake up we tend to want to get up. My wife and I slept flat for two nights recently and we were very uncomfortable and woke up feeling worse in the mornings rather than feeling refreshed on IBT.

Years ago we did a urine density test using a hydrometer. Our urine density increased on IBT, whereas sleeping flat lowered urine density. The startling effect of sleeping head down on a five degree incline, caused us both to experience headaches, head pressure, diarrhoea and our urine density went down to almost same as tap water, which told me that kidney filtration depends upon our posture. In fact dialysis works because of the movement of dense waste through a semi permeable membrane into a bath of fluid in much the same way.

 

[yerrag]

It may be worth lowering your bed to a 5" rise for several weeks to ease into IBT
Why would you suspect that you have lead in your body?

Thanks for the tips Andrew. I just lowered the bed to 5" rise, but since I'm sleeping with head at the foot of the bed this time, the rise is at the foot. This way, I'll be facing north. Will see how much of an effect the change in direction brings.

I had tested this years ago thru a DMSA (or DMPS not sure) challenge test. I must have lead accumulate living in an old apartment in Cincinnati for 7 years, which may have old copper pipes that used lead to weld joints. The high blood pressure never surfaced as my tissues were not oxygenated well, due to poor oxygen transport from mercury toxicity (mercury displaces oxygen at the binding sites for oxygen in hemoglobin). I suspect that when I finally got rid of my mercury toxicity, I began shortly to experience high blood pressure, as my tissues were being oxygenated well from it, and my kidneys didn't like too much oxygenation as it would reduce uric acid production to protect itself from free radicals from lead.

When you mentioned that people experienced scars going away out of IBT due to improved circulation (and tissue oxygenation), I started to think about my keloid scars, which I have plenty of. I'm beginning to think that once my blood pressure becomes normal, and tissue oxygenation is back to normal, and as I continue to sleep inclined, I may find my keloid condition slowly going away. It is something I have put a lot of effort in over the years. It never went away, but thanks to it I am a lot more healthy because everything else got better but the keloid!

Your right about not needing to sleep as long when inclined. Generally when we wake up we tend to want to get up. My wife and I slept flat for two nights recently and we were very uncomfortable and woke up feeling worse in the mornings rather than feeling refreshed on IBT.

I'm hoping that's the case, although today I had the mid-day doldrums. I'll keep noting my sleep patterns and let you know how it goes. This has been great Andrew. Thanks.

 

[Ulysses]

It’s so fascinating: since starting IBT I think I have actually been waking up more in the night, but again, falling back asleep is so much easier and when I get out of bed to start my day, I feel so much more refreshed than I did pre-IBT.

The experience I’m having somewhat reminds me of the things I’ve read about people in pre-industrial societies having biphasic sleep. Somehow the increase in quality of the sleep I’m getting is outweighing the interruptions, which are basically momentary and no big deal, whereas before if I woke in the night it might be an hour or more until I would be able to sleep again.

I also find myself laying in bed during the day to work or read because it’s so relaxing, which is something I never did before.

 

[Lynne]

I'll be facing north. Will see how much of an effect the change in direction brings.

I'd be interested in the the outcome of this, yerrag, as I've always wondered about the sleeping direction thing.
Being in the southern hemisphere, sleeping with feet pointing south is supposed to be least favourable (north most fav) and, when I think back over the years (I've slept in pretty much every direction at some point), I can see how this may have been true for me.

 

[yerrag]

I'll be interested in the the outcome of this, yerrag, as I've always wondered about the sleeping direction thing.
Being in the southern hemisphere, sleeping with feet pointing south is supposed to be least favourable (north most fav) and, when I think back over the years (I've slept in pretty much every direction at some point), I can see how this may have been true for me.

I realized last night I had been sleeping facing east (not south). I reversed my direction (facing west) last night and couldn't sleep at all. Since I couldn't sleep facing east anymore, with the way the bed is inclined, I resorted to sleep facing both south and north (at different times, with a slight tilt to the side), and I was able to sleep.

I'll have to rotate my bed 90 degrees later, so I'll be able to face north tonight sleeping in the inclined bed.

Since you're in the southern hemisphere and I'm in the north, isn't the northbound direction best for me, and the southbound direction best for you? I'm a little confused here, but I'll check with Andrew's earlier post regarding this.

 

[Lynne]

Since you're in the southern hemisphere and I'm in the north, isn't the northbound direction best for me, and the southbound direction best for you? I'm a little confused here, but I'll check with Andrew's earlier post regarding this.

I've only heard what the eastern yogic types say which is that if you're in the NH your head should point north/feet face South and vice versa in the SH. There's a bit of confusion bout this, coming from peoples interpretation of 'point', which some have taken to mean 'face', which would be the opposite. Also the necessary reversal for the SH is generally not mentioned.


I haven't read Andrew's post yet, and it's beena while since I listened to his One Radio interview so I can't remember if he thinking/experiences are in line with this.

 

[noordinary]

I've only heard what the eastern yogic types say which is that if you're in the NH your head should point north/feet face South and vice versa in the SH. There's a bit of confusion bout this, coming from peoples interpretation of 'point', which some have taken to mean 'face', which would be the opposite. Also the necessary reversal for the SH is generally not mentioned.


I haven't read Andrew's post yet, and it's beena while since I listened to his One Radio interview so I can't remember if he thinking/experiences are in line with this.

This is not why i got interested in sleeping direction. Robert Becker’s book The Body Electric where he talks that human body has it’s own north and sough pole (i don’t recall which is where in head/feet). If human body is electromagnetic, when we interract with Earth’s electromagnetic field, and some position will encourage electron flow and some disrupt? Maybe it’s not about electrons but about protons? Or both? @Travis please help me out here: do we have poles and if yes what sleeping direction makes sense?

 

[Lynne]

If human body is electromagnetic, when we interract with Earth’s electromagnetic field, and some position will encourage electron flow and some disrupt? Maybe it’s not about electrons but about protons? Or both? @Travis please help me out here: do we have poles and if yes what sleeping direction makes sense?

I'd be interested too. I read somewhere Jack Kruse saying it doesn't matter which direction you sleep anymore because the EMF has messed up the natural electrical fields so much. Maybe it's only relevant to hunter-gatherers in the middle of nowhere.
There's some very interesting comments about the sleeping orientation of animals and Australian Aborigines in the Jack Kruse forum.
Sleeping orientation

 

[Travis]

This is not why i got interested in sleeping direction. Robert Becker’s book The Body Electric where he talks that human body has it’s own north and sough pole (i don’t recall which is where in head/feet). If human body is electromagnetic, when we interract with Earth’s electromagnetic field, and some position will encourage electron flow and some disrupt? Maybe it’s not about electrons but about protons? Or both? @Travis please help me out here: do we have poles and if yes what sleeping direction makes sense?

Even though some animals have magnetic domains they use to navigate, we have none as far as I can tell. Bees will concentrate iron in their abdomens, lending them the ability to fly up to 30 miles away and always come back to the very same spot.

Liang, Chao-hung. "Magnetic Sensing through the Abdomen of the Honey bee." Scientific Reports (2016)​

Robert Becker must be talking about the separation of electrical charge, which is also called polarity by chemists. I vaguely remember reading The Body Electric, and if I remember correctly the growing tips of regenerating salamander limbs were electrically-negative relative to other body areas; this makes the regenerating limb polar. Did he not use electricity to direct and enhance the growth or salamander appendages? and he had talked about silver ions to some extent.. .

The silver ion is a unique antibiotic, and I maintain the reason for this lies in its ability to bind non-methylated dNA. The silver ion (Ag⁺) has been known to have a unique affinity for dNA since the '60s, and I have read studies demonstrated it will more-or-less leave fully-methylated dNA alone. Most species of bacteria have much less 5-methylcytosine than mammals, and I feel this fact perfectly explains its selective and potent antibiotic effect.

Jensen, Ronald. "Spectrophotometric, potentiometric, and density gradient ultracentrifugation studies of the binding of silver ion by DNA." Biopolymers: Original Research on Biomolecules (1966)​

Boric acid has a unique affinity for chitin, explaining why it has selective antifungal effect. It also kills certain insects at concentrations I've taken before, perhaps understandable after noting that many insects have chitinous intestines. Mammals do not make chitin, and the most similar thing to humans that actually does is probably the lobster.