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.
Acid Reflux
Posted by Judy (NSW Australia) on 09/30/2023
★★★★★
I've slept on an inclined bed for years - love it - don't like it when I'm compelled to go flat. I ached for a few days at most when I began but it was soon gone. I tell everybody about it. I've just put my 101 year old neighbour up on a 3" brick for her swelling ankles. The swelling hasn't gone down yet and perhaps wont until we go higher but she is sleeping better and not paceing the floor with restless legs. Another elderly neighbour tried it for painful and swelling legs and the very first morning after told me that her usual morning giddiness wasn't there... Persist and go have a Swedish massage to the aches! Maybe not so high. For slipping - get a footboard on the end of the bed. You can push up on that.
MS, Back Problems
Posted by Kelly (The Netherlands) on 02/24/2023
Can I ask how much higher the head of the bed is and the length of the bed? I read here:
https://inclinedbedtherapy.com/faq/42-how-do-i-adapt-my-bed-for-inclined-bed-therapy
'For hospital type beds, a length of 3/4 inch plywood cut to the size of a mattress, placed under the mattress will allow the mechanical mechanism to tilt the whole bed when the head end is raised.'
So an adjustable bed base and a piece of wood could work. I was advised to go for at least 1-inch thick wood.
Insomnia
Posted by mmsg (somewhere, europe) on 11/07/2021
Awreeve, lower the bed. It works even with less of an incline.
Insomnia
Posted by Awreeve (Asheville ) on 11/06/2021
★★★★☆
I have been using Inclined Bed Therapy for 7 months, 5”. Prime reason for insomnia. I believe it helps to keep me asleep, but I wake up in the early hours, 3-4 am with my feet and lower legs off the mattress and I need to climb back to the top. Does anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions how to stay in the bed? My sheets are eucalyptus, not silky, the mattress is multilayer foam Nectar Premier. Platform bed, no boxspring. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Acid Reflux, Edema
Posted by Idot13 (Dublin) on 01/20/2021
What about trying apple cider vinegar? It should work as well as it alkalines the body
Acid Reflux, Edema
Posted by Charity (faithville, Us) on 01/19/2021
I have some experience on rehydration. The body is very interesting . When it thinks there is a shortage it hoards stuff. Kind of like me I suppose. Then, when you get a bunch of that stuff the body at first keeps hoarding it ....too much water can kill you and I was learning about water and salt years ago. I had a bad week of trying to do too much salt and water too fast . Start low dose and slow with any addition of exercise or food or liquid or supplements or creams or oils or inhalants. Use CAUTION so you don't have to suffer or die.
Acid Reflux, Edema
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 01/19/2021 523 posts
For "edema", rebounding. Get the lymphatic system circulating. If you have to, bounce on the edge of the bed, sitting far enough back that your feet are off the floor. The lymphatic system doesn't have a heart or any other physical pump, other than YOU and that motion will do the pumping. Plus, it just feels good so, BONUS!
Acid Reflux, Edema
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 01/19/2021 523 posts
Drink two glasses of water then set the timer on your phone to go off in 2 hours. When it goes off, drink down - I.e. no sipping - 8 ounces of water and reset the timer. The next time it goes off, drink another 8 ounces of plain water and do that throughout the waking hours.
People will tell you that you're merely diluting the acid and they'll be right but that's one of water's jobs, in the body, and if you're not getting enough water to support all of the other bodily function AND keep the acid diluted, your body is going to be too busy trying to keep you alive to deal with the acid issue. Everything your body does requires water. Every heartbeat. Every movement. Creating enough blood volume to pump blood and oxygen to the brain to keep you upright and conscious. Your very survival.
This won't rehydrate you because acid problems are proof that one has been dehydrated for a very long time and rehydrating a chronically and profoundly dehydrated body and getting everything back on track can take YEARS. Years of cleaning up the mess, repairing whatever damage its caused that CAN be repaired and just the general bodily duties BUT, you will feel better TODAY and every day from this day forward, if you do this. And if you get off track again, you'll know it because you'll recognize that feeling of an acid attack approaching and you can stop it in its tracks with those first two glasses of water.
Acid Reflux, Edema
Posted by DFORCA (Sequim, WA.) on 01/18/2021
★★☆☆☆
I've tried raising
the head of my bed six inches, because of acid reflux.
Had a bad dream, I dreamed that I was on a shear mountain rock wall inching my way along a narrow ledge.
What did work, was laying on my right-side, this seemed to remove the pressure of the stomach contents coming back up the throat.
Now, I just go to bed with an empty stomach and sleep on either side.
I've tried raising the foot of my bed six inches, to try and reduce the foot swelling.
It didn't work for me, what did work, was placing an extra comforter folded up into a large garbage bag.
I placed that under my calves for about an hour.
My feet didn't look normal, but, the swelling had gone down noticeably, I was able to tie my shoe laces without my feet hurting.
Acid Reflux
Posted by Wayne (Albonico) on 08/09/2020
★★★★★
Same here, however, after a couple weeks, no more pain!
PERSISTANCE BEATS RESISTANCE!!!
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Back Muscle Tightness
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 10/04/2018
Suzieq, lower the incline of your bed. It seems too high for you. A lower incline gives just as many benefits.
Back Muscle Tightness
Posted by Suzieq (East Alabama) on 10/03/2018
I have been sleeping inclined for about a year now. I experience tightness and pain of my upper back and neck muscles. This has persisted despite the multitude of ways I've tried adding pillows to support different parts of my body. All I can think is that my upper back and neck are trying to keep me from sliding down the bed and are tensing up??? This is despite the fact that I put a pillow under my hips for that purpose.
Any help and suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated, because I'd like to continue sleeping this way.
Thank you.
Andrew Fletcher, Inventor
Posted by Andrew (Devon) on 10/02/2018 4 posts
★★★★★
Broad Benefits
Posted by Andrew (Devon) on 10/02/2018 4 posts
You're very welcome and thank you for helping to share your results and helping others with IBT.
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!
Acid Reflux
Posted by Carolyn (Canada) on 03/07/2018
Persevere, you won't regret it!
Edema
Posted by Beth (Israel) on 06/04/2017
★★★★★
We love the ibt, have been with it for probably 8 years!
We started because of swollen feet in pregnancy so for the swelling it is amazing but for the varicose veins I can't really say!!! Would love to hear if u have more home remedies for them.
Acid Reflux
Posted by Robert (San Antonio , Texas ) on 12/23/2016
Could it be that you have silent reflux and not acid reflux? Silent reflux only impacts you at night because the flap in your stomach is not closed and lets the acid out. So you don't actually have too much acid. If you have acid reflux it impacts you at any time of the day or night because you have an acid problem.
MS, Back Problems
Posted by D (Wisconsin) on 11/08/2016
★★★★★
I started IBT about a year ago after being diagnosed with MS and searching the web for "natural" ways to manage it I came across Andrews video and the written info. I had nothing to lose by trying it and, now, I gained everything! I have not had to be treated (medication wise) for the MS, I was also at the door step of having to have back surgery, which I did not want and kept putting it off. Now, I don't need an excuse to put off surgery as I have no more back issues.
This is the by far the best remedy for so much I have ever came across and, it's free! I don't have to have surgery and as of date I don't for see myself having the need for MS medication/therapy.
I can't ever see myself sleeping flat again...One thing thou that is really hard is sex. We were never "schedulers" and now when the bed is not raised it's fun time. Yet, those times when one wakes and the mood is there the incline becomes a challenge. Sometimes to the point where we end up on the floor. If anyone is as bold as me and can give suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.
All in all, our health; body, energy, sleep and dreams have been renewed.
Acid Reflux
Posted by D (Wisconsin) on 11/08/2016
★★★★★
Linann, when I first started the IBT I too had shoulder, back and neck pain for the first week to where I almost set my bed back down. Then it was gone! I can say I woke up one morning and had no pain at all. it was through researching I found out this is normal as sleeping inclined like that elongates and aligns the body. I started out at a 6" incline and when the pain started I put the bed down to 4" until it was gone, then went back up to 6" with no pain at all. Maybe you can tough it out for at least a week to ten days and, if your hubby can manage his gerd at the 4" raise for the week and then back up to 6". I so promise you the pain you feel will go away, and it is so worth the several days of getting use to sleeping like that and the aches and pains.
Back Pain
Posted by Maria Cuevas (Florida) on 09/10/2016
Hi, Was wondering if you could elaborate on your comment about the two glasses of water that provided relief from acid reflux. When did you drink the two glasses of water and how often during the day. Was the drinking of the water related with your experience with the inclined bed? I get night time acid reflux. Thanks for any info you can provide..
Acid Reflux
Posted by Linann (Newton, Nc) on 08/21/2016
★★★★★
Hi, my husband suffers gerd and we have raised our head of bed with bricks, he has no gerd now, but I cannot sleep like that, I wake every morning with shoulder/ low back pain, I told him I couldn't sleep with him after 24 yrs of marriage, lol I'm going to get a twin bed to put next to him so we can still be together, have you heard of anyone else not being able to sleep in an inclined bed? Ty
Varicose Veins
Posted by Liz (Boston, Ma) on 07/10/2016
Everyone is different. I wouldn't write a treatment off as "codswallop" simply because it didn't work for
you.
I have two ruptured discs in my lower back. Between that and my hip pain, I would toss and turn all night. About a week after inclining my bed, not only was my back pain *much* improved, but my hips didn't wake me up at *all* anymore.
Natural cures are all about trial and error. (And lots and LOTS of research/reading.)
Countless people have lowered their blood pressure with simple, old apple cider vinegar, while others weren't helped by the ACV, but found another natural remedy or combination of remedies, that *did* do the trick for them. Trial and error.
The beauty of natural treatments is that while they some may not help you, they certainly won't hurt you--like medications can.
Keep reading for other alternatives to alleviate your ailment. You'll find one that helps, eventually! :)
Varicose Veins
Posted by Mrs.p.howell (England) on 07/06/2016
★☆☆☆☆
What a load of codswallop this information is about raising the bed 6 inches is. I suffer from a herniated disc in the bottom of my spine also varicose veins in my right leg in which I developed phlebitis in 1962 and have had recurring bouts during the latter years. After having numerous injections in my back which alleviated the pain and sciatica I have been pain free for 4years and my leg I have managed the phlebitis with 2types of cream and gel from the doctors and a compression stocking. My husband whilst he was on the computer read that raising the bed by 6 inches was supposed to do one good, so we gave it a go, the first night or the first morning when I got up I could hardly walk and my leg was really bad, never mind I persisted until I have had to give up sleeping on this bed and go into the other bedroom where the mattress was firm and flat but the sciatica and leg are only getting better very slowly for all I am taking painkillers. So I advise against those with disc problems and varicose veins to raise their beds.
Back Pain
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, Usa) on 06/22/2016 523 posts
★★★★★
I've been sleeping on an incline for over 10 years and love it. I doubt I could sleep flat, even if I wanted to. But I just discovered something AWESOME about my inclined bed. It helped but I actually cured my indigestion, acid reflux and hiatal hernia with water- I haven't had any of the acid symptoms since I drank two glasses of water, the very first day I heard about it. That said...
I used to go to the chiropractor 2 or 3 times per year for neck problems and such but I saw an inversion table on tv and they talked about neck problems but ONE woman said that it cured her carpal tunnel - which I also had - so I got an inversion table and, sure enough, no more carpal tunnel AND no more visits to the chiropractor. They immediately bleeped out the woman's comments about carpal tunnel but I had already heard it so...but that's not the AWESOME part!
The AWESOME part is that with an inversion table, you don't have to go completely upside down to get the benefits. And because it is so big and awkward to set up and take down, I'd been procrastinating with regard to actually doing it but one day I was particularly sore and trying to figure out something I could do to relieve the soreness enough to actually wrestle the inversion table up and usable and I looked at my "inclined bed" and thought that since I don't actually have to go all the way upside down, I wondered...if I laid on it the wrong way around...would that provide some traction? And it DID!! And it was AWESOME!!
I laid with my head at the foot of the bed, rolled up in a sit up to sort of stretch out my spine. Then I put my arms straight over my head for a few seconds and stretched, then twisted my torso one way and stretched, then the other way and stretch and then I pull my knees up to my chest for just a few seconds, got up and felt like a new woman! It wa shocking!! I couldn't believe it!
So, now, after a day hunched over the keyboard, I lay the wrong way on my inclined bed and stretch. It's like a whole new life - a whole extra half a day of feeling good and sleeping good and just overall awesomeness!
Acid Reflux
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 06/06/2016
Maggie, I've seen impressive results in taking down swollen feet, with less height.
Acid Reflux
Posted by Maggie (Australia) on 06/05/2016
Inclined bed therapy requires the bed to be raised a minimum of 6 inches at the head of the bed.
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.
Acid Reflux
Posted by Jeannie (Us) on 05/25/2015
To cure acid reflux, take a flat teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda every 12 hours for 6 weeks. It will be gone!
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.
Acid Reflux
Posted by Anthony (Mysore, India) on 12/15/2014
★★★★★
In response to Saba from who wrote:
Question: About INCLINE BED THERAPY isn't it the same thing as what sleeping on pillows does? Will I have the same effect if I sleep on a firm pillow that is 6inches higher rather than having to raise my bed? Thank you if anyone has any answer
Saba, using a firm pillow will only bend your neck and raise your head. The rest of the body remains prone/flat. Inclining your entire bed by raising it at the head makes the entire body inclined. The feet are lower than the heart, the stomach is lower than the throat, etc. This is what gives you all the benefits being discussed here. I have been sleeping on an inclined bed since 6 months now, and my heart burn / acid reflux is gone! I was prescribed this by a gasteroenterologist as against acidity regulating tabs/syrups.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Jenny (Idaho, US) on 06/07/2014
So the incline is at the head? I thought for edema , it was supposed to be legs above heart, which I have tried and that doesn't work. Also with such a small bedroom, the incline at the head will look nicer than at the other end!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Buket (Turkey) on 04/11/2014
I have been experiencing the same problem with dreams. Could you plz tell what kind of mask you are using? Thnx
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, Texas) on 02/26/2013
Thank you, I will try that.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 02/21/2013
Mario, you can try sleeping one or two nights without the pillows and see what happens. When I first started putting the bed on an incline, I was afraid of swelled ankles. But to my surprise, the swelling went down - totally counterintuitive - whereas in the past, only putting the feet up a wall while lying flat, got the swelling down.
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.
