Inclined Sleeping
What does Sleeping Inclined mean?
Inclined Bed Therapy involves elevating the head of your bed by a few inches, creating a gentle slope. This simple change improves sleep quality and overall health. It's like sleeping on a gentle hill, allowing gravity to optimize your body's natural functions while you rest.
How Does Sleeping Inclined Work?
Inclined sleep therapy positions your body so gravity assists circulation, facilitating the movement of oxygen-rich blood to your brain and extremities. This natural process also aids in carbon dioxide removal, promoting efficient gas exchange and potentially improving overall cellular function.
The spine will decompress naturally with gravity pulling on the lower body, giving space between the vertebrae and unpinching nerves along the spine. Remember all pain in the body goes through the spine, inclined sleeping protects these nerves and joints naturally.
Benefits of Inclined Sleep
Inclined sleep therapy has been linked to a variety of potential benefits, including:
- Snoring and sleep apnea less
- Higher sleep quality
- Acid reflux and GERD relief
- Back pain and neck pain improved
- Circulation and lymphatic drainage more efficient
- Sinus congestion and headaches lessened
- Anti-aging benefits
- Brain function and cognitive performance increased
How to Sleep Inclined
You can achieve an inclined sleeping position using a few different methods:
1. Most common method: Elevate the head of your bed frame using bed risers or blocks.
- Start with a small incline (a 1 to 3 inch spacer, book, or block of wood) and slowly adjust to roughly a 5 degree angle (a 5 to 7 inch spacer) or find the spacer height that is best for you
2. Entire bed wedge pillow: Place a wedge-shaped pillow that goes under and is as big as the mattress, see examples on Amazon- click Here and Here
How Not to Sleep Inclined
An adjustable bed frame that allows you to customize the incline of your torso, which bends our spine with extra angles hampering circulation. These beds are only for sleepers who can sleep in a zero gravity position all night long, meaning sleeping on their backs and never a side sleeper or stomach. If you already have an adjustable electric bed only increase the head of the bed partway, to prevent it from causing lower back pain and problems for your hips.
Is Inclined Sleep Right For You?
Inclined sleep therapy is generally safe for most people. However it's advisable to consult with your doctor if you have any concerns or existing health conditions such as
Heart Failure and other heart conditions
Glaucoma
High blood pressure, as inclined sleeping can lower or raise blood pressure