See full version: Inclined Bed Therapy
While almost no bed manufacturer has caught on to sleeping inclined, SAMINA not only promotes this method but also offers a patented bed frame solution developed in partnership with Luxlet, an Italian company, to create a metal-free, wooden bed frame with adjustable inclination up to 5.5-degrees. [links]
Gravity inclined sleeping also has numerous benefits on body structure. The slight incline is enough to restore the force of gravity on the body, straightening out the spine, as well as strengthening the muscles, fascia, ligaments, and tendons. Sleeping inclined can help prevent degeneration of the spine and connective tissue associated with ageing. It can also help with poor postural conditions such as kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis, as well as reduce the symptoms of restless leg syndrome (RLS). here
Notice how the entire bed is on a slope, not just the head of the bed
In recent years, the negative health impacts of sitting for extended periods of time has increased in awareness. Researchers have gone as far as to say that “sitting is the new smoking”. NASA scientist Dr. Joan Vernikos has shown that excessive sitting causes many of the same problems that astronauts experience in space due to the reduced force of gravity on the human body. The deficiency in gravity from sitting can cause physical degeneration of the spine, muscles, and connective tissue, as well as obesity and early death. Most people however, are not aware that sleeping on a flat surface has the same negative impacts as sitting or weightlessness in outer space. Research has shown that sleeping on a flat surface can cause reduced sleep quality, migraines, Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma, sleep apnea, strokes, and erectile dysfunction among other diseases.
In the United States and other westernized countries, there is an epidemic of sleep disordered breathing. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are major risk factors for about every disease due to lack of oxygen during sleep. Sleeping on an incline helps to open the airway, alleviating snoring and restoring oxygen to the brain. The force of gravity from sleeping inclined also prevents acid reflux and heartburn. [links]
Gravity inclined sleeping is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of sleeping on a flat surface, the bed is at a slight incline of 3.5 to 5 degrees. The main benefit behind inclined bed therapy is improved circulation of blood and lymph, simply by gravity. When you sleep, your brain detoxifies itself through the glymphatic system. During deep sleep, the brain shrinks and gets washed with cerebrospinal fluid, and this waste then gets moved into the peripheral lymph. Adding a five degree incline to your sleeping surface can help the glymphatic system drain “downhill” to the gut to be excreted. This can help detoxify heavy metals, pathogens, and other harmful substances from the brain. A condition called Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) is very common in chronic disease. In CCSVI, blood and lymph flow out of the brain is compromised, leading to neurological problems. It is a common symptom that CCSVI gets worse while lying flat. here
Sleeping on an angle even has some historical significance. Researchers have discovered ancient Egyptian tombs containing elevated headrests that are believed to have both pragmatic and religious purposes.
Most bedding manufacturers, understanding the rise in demand for adjustable frames, are now producing these products in addition to their traditional flat frames. For those seeking the health benefits of inclined resting, there are many high-quality adjustable beds available online, along with excellent mattresses that are compatible with adjustable beds.
Inclined beds have been gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional flat surfaces thanks to their rumored health advantages.
Nov. 7, 2019 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents not let a baby sleep in rockers, pillows, car seats, or any other product that holds an infant at an incline -- with their head higher than their feet.
Pediatricians say they know that advice can be hard to follow, especially if a child falls asleep in the car. here
Not all of the infant deaths tied to sleepers involved babies that rolled. In some cases, parents found the babies dead on their backs. Mannen says in many of those instances, some parents reported finding their babies with their faces pressed into the soft, pillow-like material that some sleepers are lined with. When babies burrow their faces into a soft surface like that, they can end up continuously breathing the carbon dioxide they exhale, eventually leading to suffocation. here
“It seems that weekday short sleep may be forgiven by weekend compensation,” lead study author Torbjörn Åkerstedt, a professor of psychology at the Karolinska Institutet, told Health in an email. In other words, he says, it may be healthier in the long run to catch up on lost sleep over the weekend than to keep a shortened sleep schedule all seven days. more
But those who reported short sleep during the week and long sleep on the weekends seemed protected: Despite skimping on shuteye Sunday through Thursday nights, they had no increased mortality risk compared to those who consistently got six to seven hours. more
“Consistency is always key,” he says, as long as it’s consistently an intermediate sleep duration—not too much or too little. Getting too much sleep–more than eight or nine hours a night–has also been linked with poor health outcomes, including, in a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and death. [links]
New research suggests sleeping in is actually a good idea–but experts say a consistent sleep schedule is still your healthiest option.