The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Broad Benefits
Posted by sleepwell (New South Wales Australia) on 09/30/2023
★★★★★
I've slept on an inclined bed for years. Love it, hate it when I have to sleep flat when visiting others. I think it's the fresh air feel in my lungs I can most pinpoint. I also don't get up often throughout the night as previously. I've shared the therapy with friends. One elderly friend suffered from dreadful chillblains in her feet every winter leading to gangrene. She has improved vastly and the condition returned when she moved and didn't have her raised bed for some time. Another elderly neighbour woke with swollen, painful ankles one morning so I popped her up 3 inches and the pain started to subside BUT the interesting unlooked for benefit was her morning giddiness on rising. I've now put my 101 year old neighbour up 3 inches. She is ready for me to take her up to 6 as, while her ankles are still swollen, she is sleeping better and not pacing the floor at night with restless legs. I only suffered achey back for a day or two when I first adopted the method. I have a foot rest at the end of my bed and I'm tall and my feet can touch it though I don't press against it - haven't needed to. My doctor friends (obgyn and cardiologist) adopted IBT and put me on to it. I do it for health.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Carolyn (Canada) on 03/07/2018
★★★★★
Inclined Bed Therapy is AMAZING! After suffering for years with back (previous fracture of vertebrae), feet (hurting and aching at night), lower restless legs, shoulders (two previously dislocated and frozen shoulders and a broken upper arm), neck problems from my shoulders, and gut (food sensitivities) pain; after just one week of sleeping inclined (just starting out at 3 inches) my whole body is healing and realigning. Looking forward to raising it to 6 inches shortly) I will never go back to sleeping flat. Simple solution...profound results!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Gokhals (Ca, Usa) on 09/02/2015 34 posts
★★★★★
Inclined bed therapy has really helped my health as well as many of my friends' health, here in California. I have been sleeping inclined for a few weeks now and its been amazing. Most of my "fatty" thigh lumps have disappeared (many after just one week on the inclined bed), my sleep became deeply restorative, my silent GERD vanished. I do not cough and clear my throat any more, I do not snore any more. My sleep is deeply restorative. I do not get up twice in the night to go to the bathroom any more. I could swear my skin tone has improved.
Two of my friends have greatly improved cellulite on their thighs and varicose veins.
The nature of my urine has changed as well. I collect my a.m. urine to compost (we have a drought, and I read in a book written pre WWII that urine makes great nitrogenous composting material! ). Well it used to be much more dilute before. In the last few weeks, minerals have precipitated out and stuck to the sides and bottom of the urine jar. I should really measure the specific gravity to be more precise. But it appears that by sleeping in this position, you secrete more concentrated urine, with a lot more mineral density.
I wanted to thank Mr. Andrew Fletcher, evangelist of this simple idea for transforming my life.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Robert (Chula Vista, Ca) on 04/05/2015
★★★★★
After using incline bed therapy (6 degrees), my blood pressure has gone down from 145 to 112. No more pills! Been on it for 6 months. Large varicose vein has gone down in size. I have twice the energy now and I my restless leg ordeal has gone away. I'm hooked for life.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Jennywren (Perth, Western Australia, Australia) on 05/31/2013
★★★★★
Yay. After reading about Inclined Bed Therapy, my husband and I raised the top (head) of our bed by six inches last week as we'd heard there were multiple health benefits with doing this. We bought new, taller bed legs but others have used bricks, books and planks of wood. So I can report back after 10 days:
- I don't get heartburn at night anymore (not to say I don't still have a hernia or reflux, but I just never suffer from heartburn at nighttime)
- My husband's loud snoring has greatly improved (now a gentle murmur).
Others have reported improvement to varicose veins (meant to take 4 weeks: I'm waiting! ), deeper sleeps, more vivid dreams, fixing their backs, fixing their oedema (swollen feet/ankles) and less up and downing to the toilet.
Hope this helps, it's such a simple solution!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Mario (Dallas Tx, Usa) on 02/20/2013
★★★★★
I have been sleeping in a incline bed for few mounts , so far good improvement, back pain, gone acid reflux better, sleep apnea much better snore gone. The problem is I also have leg pain and to relieve that, I need to put pillows under my legs. I hear that may causes problem later on. Need some opinion, please.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Steve (Las Vegas, Nevada) on 11/24/2012
★★★★★
My Wife and I started Incline Bed Therapy a about a week ago and both notice we are sleeping better through the night, less snoring (we both used to wake each other up with loud snoring) less back pain, we waking up feeling more energetic and with a generaly better mood than before. We used 4 inch wooden bed lifters. Steve
Broad Benefits
Posted by Beverly (Old Hickory, Tennessee/usa) on 10/09/2009
★★★★★
My husband and I started sleeping on the incline - head about 6-8 inches higher than feet approximately 10 days ago. What we have noticed so far:
1. husband no longer snores (did not sleep with him for several years on consistent basis because of this, even though he had $500.00 dental snoring device after trying every over-the-counter remedy available)
2. We are both sleeping through the night without having to get up and use the bathroom except on rare occasions - we are able to go right back to sleep if we do get up - best few nights of sleep I have had in years.
3. We are both starting to remember our dreams, which I have not had access to in years
4. Stools are more compact without being constipated
5. I am able to sleep in my own bed now instead of the sofa, which I had difficulty doing even when hubby was not in the bed
6. Have started to notice a decrease in husband's blood pressure - will continue to monitor since he is on medication for this
7. Have noticed that I do not seem to be as thirsty during the day
We are pretty much hooked. Will continue to observe how we do with this different mode of sleeping and report any further benefits.
Broad Benefits
Posted by John (Escondido, California - USA) on 02/02/2009
★★★★★
Up until last June, I had been getting up two to four times a night for years due to an enlarged prostate. Then one day I was painting the base of my bed and didn't want to set it back on the floor, so I put a couple barbells under the head to keep the painted base off the carpet. Hit the sack that night and woke up at 5:00 -- couldn't believe that I had slept all night. So, I went to the Internet to do some research and ran across the "inclined bed therapy" concept.
Now I'm at 6 inches high and sleep well every night and only get up once. Also had a cough that would wake me during most nights... that went away. Varicose veins have subsided. My wife no longer snores. This one simple move has changed our lives - and it can change yours. Regardless of the problem you have, try it and see what happens. I don't take any drugs and sleep like a log every night.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Cindy (Kansas, USA) on 10/04/2008
★★★★★
Just wanted to share my experiences with "incline bed therapy" that I read about here on earth clinic.
I've found IBT to be one of those things that one should just do, do now and do for the rest of their lives. I am 100% convinced that people should not sleep flat. Ever.
After sleeping inclined (6 degrees)for 3 1/2 weeks I slept flat for one night. 4 glaring differences were 1) I had to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, 2) I looked about 20 years older when I got up the next morning, 3) I was extremely dehydrated when I got up (I'm a big fan of the watercure and hydration, in general), and 4) what I thought was fat ankles - which I've had my entire life - was actually edema, which completely disappeared.
I was so amazed by the improved skin tone and younger appearance in the face and the fact that my ankles were no longer fat that I failed to noticed that I wasn't getting up in the middle of the night with a great urge to go to the bathroom. Nor had I noticed that the struggle to keep hydrated had disappeared when I started sleeping on the incline. After sleeping flat for one night, I felt as if I couldn't get hydrated all the following day.
I don't have any health problems, so I can't speak to that, but if one's circulation is disrupted when lying flat, as Mr. Fletcher discovered, then it stands to reason that even a "healthy" person would benefit from a 50% increase in the time the body spends in a state of proper circulation. I can only imagine what it would do for people with serious health issues!
Aside from the occasional experiment, I will definitely be sleeping on an incline for the rest of my life. And to clarify, that is a straight incline. It isn't the "hospital bed" position where only the head is raised.
EC: Thanks, Cindy -- new remedy page created! Question: what did you use to raise the head of the bed 6 degrees, bricks?
