Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT)

What is Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT)?

How does IBT work?

What does IBT improve in the body?

What ailments can IBT relieve or even completely cure?

References

What is Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT)?

I raised the head end of my bed 150 mm (6") many years ago and have kept it raised since then. This means that it slopes down towards my feet at a five degree angle. The first night sleeping on the inclined bed felt a little weird, though I went to sleep easily enough. The second night still felt a little different, but by the third night it all seemed quite comfortable and normal. I have heard that a very few people experience muscle soreness or a stiff neck during the first week or two of IBT, but it was certainly not the case for me.

IBT is another of those wonderful natural home remedies that are highly effective for a wide variety of ailments, and are safe and without side-effects (except good ones). Doctors, pharmaceutical companies and other health workers can make no money from it, so there is no incentive for research and they all tend to ignore it. Usually the pharmaceutical industry tries to discredit or outlaw these kinds of cures, but IBT is so simple and harmless that a pharmaceutical campaign against IBT would be laughable.

Note that sleeping on an incline is NOT the same as sleeping on an adjustable bed that allows you to raise your head or chest while the rest of your body remains horizontal. IBT is NOT sleeping in a sitting position where only your head or torso is raised. It is important that your whole body is straight, but on an incline. You want your blood to circulate freely and to avoid stress on your hip joint.

When first starting IBT, drink more water than usual, as the elevation will decrease fluid retention and enhance urination and flushing out toxins.

Archaeological evidence shows that ancient Egyptian priests, royalty and many other citizens slept on inclined beds at an angle exactly like that described above. Other archaeologists found that inclined beds were used in an ancient hospital in Constantinople. These ancient beds are in museums around the world and no one is asking why our ancestors slept inclined.

Astronauts, who experience no gravity during their time in space, frequently present with bone decalcification and osteoporosis, muscular atrophy, heart atrophy and circulatory disorders, lymphatic disorders, skin thinning and skin conditions such as psoriasis, sight degeneration, immune deterioration and chronic inflammation, the formation of kidney, liver and bladder stones, urinary tract infections, vestibular (inner ear) disorders, sleep disorders and more. On return to Earth, they are unable to walk or even stand upright even after just a few days of zero gravity.

How does IBT work?

In 1994 while watching a documentary Andrew K Fletcher noticed that some trees were able to grow in salty desert soils that were unable to sustain agricultural crops. He thought about what the trees were doing differently. After reading the literature on sap flow and fluid transportation in plants and trees, he was unconvinced by the current explanation. He decided to re-examine the facts and ignore all unsubstantiated assumptions of a one-way flow to the tree's canopy. It is a fact that 98% of the water entering through the tree's roots evaporates through its leaves. Transpiration is the name of this process.

Fletcher found that density changes as well as gravity cause water to flow. He demonstrated that water can flow vertically up 24 meters in a single open-ended tube. This was verified in a paper in Nature Journal by other scientists. At first, Fletcher's pioneering work was not acknowledged in the journal, but he was eventually given credit. (1)

Fletcher showed that the interplay between gravity and the varying density of fluids caused by both salts and temperature changes such as warming by the sun is what causes the mineral-carrying sap in a plant to circulate. Gravity pulls down denser sap from the top of the tree, and lighter less diluted sap at the bottom of the tree rises upward. The interplay between gravity and the light/dense fluids is what causes the sap to circulate up and down in a perpetual loop, delivering minerals and other nutrients. (4)

The same mechanism also appears to apply to animal biology, and particularly to humans who are the most upright of all animals.

The pumping of the heart is only a part of the mechanism for circulation of blood and other fluids in the body. When blood enters the lungs, it provides water and carbon dioxide that we evaporate with each breath. The blood is therefore denser as it leaves the lungs, goes to the heart, and is circulated around the body. Much of this dense blood flows downward to the kidneys. After leaving the kidneys, the blood is less dense. Water also evaporates from the skin, eyes, sinuses, upper respiratory tract and mouth - all of which concentrate fluids and increase their density.

This is the basis for inclined bed therapy.

What does IBT improve in the body?

• Blood circulation.
• Lymphatic circulation and drainage.
• Glymphatic drainage. The brain has its own lymphatic system known as the glymphatic system. It pumps cerebral spinal fluid through the brain at night while we sleep, flushing waste from the brain back into your circulatory system for elimination. Amyloid beta deposits and other toxins are flushed out nightly during deep sleep. Just about anything that hampers the efficient function of your glymphatic system will promote Alzheimer's and other neurological dysfunctions.
• Immune function.
• Respiratory function.
• Metabolism.

What ailments can IBT relieve or even completely cure?

• Acid reflux (heartburn / gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD). Acid reflux is usually caused by insufficient stomach acid. This causes the valve at the top of the stomach (the pyloric valve) not to close properly, so acidic stomach contents burp and escape upwards into oesophagus.
  
  It is typically most bothersome at night when you are lying down. While inclined bed therapy will not cure acid reflux, it provides great relief. In nearly all cases, acid reflux is easy to cure, by increasing stomach acidity. Details of how to do this are on the Grow Youthful Acid reflux web page.
• Back pain.
• Cerebral palsy. Anecdotal evidence (2) of a young girl with cerebral palsy was also able to stand up for the first time after she had used IBT for eight months.
• Comatose patient care.
• Diabetes. Reduction in blood sugar level. (3) The researchers noted that IBT alone is not enough to remedy diabetes, but it is a significant therapy when used in conjunction with an improved diet and sufficient exercise. Interestingly, the participants in this study noticed improvements in back pain, oedema, difficulty sleeping, frequent night urination, snoring, morning light-headedness and pain in the joints after just a week.
• Fibromyalgia.
• Glaucoma.
• Insomnia.
• Joint pain.
• Migraines. Sleeping on an incline affects intracranial pressure. Research by a medical anthropologist showed people with migraines were able to eliminate their migraines within a short period of time by sleeping with their heads raised. Other researchers (2) found many of their subjects had no new migraines after being migraine sufferers for 30 or more years. These results were achieved in just a few days. They also noticed side effects such as waking up more alert, reduced sinus congestion and that they no longer had certain allergies.
• Multiple sclerosis. Anecdotal evidence (2) of a woman with multiple sclerosis, who eventually enjoyed complete recovery after using IBT. Her neurologist said he had never seen anyone in her situation get better. Also (4, 5).
• Neurological problems including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, ADHD.
• Oedema. IBT is particularly effective in healing and preventing swelling of the legs, feet and ankles.
• Psoriatic arthritis.
• Respiratory problems.
• Restless legs syndrome.
• Sciatica.
• Sinus congestion, sinusitis.
• Skin disorders such as psoriasis.
• Sleep apnoea and snoring (Obstructive sleep apnoea OSA).
• Spinal cord injury. Anecdotal evidence (2) of a man who lost control over his legs after a spinal cord injury. He used IBT with other treatments, and was eventually able to walk between parallel bars. Also (5).
• Stroke.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexplained Adult Deaths (SADS). No research, but specialists agree with the IBT theory. (4)
• Varicose veins. They typically disappear after four weeks of IBT.

Your comments about any of your experiences - positive or negative - with your use of inclined bed therapy are welcome at Grow Youthful. I am always curious about your use of and experience with natural remedies, and your feedback is very welcome.

References

1. A. Boatwright, S. Hughes, J. Barry. Corrigendum: The height limit of a siphon. Scientific Reports volume 7, Article number: 46792 (2017). The original article was published on 02 December 2015, Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 16790; published online: 02 December 2015; updated: 02 May 2017.

2. Nexus Magazine March 2016.

3. Tetaake Yee Ting, Erica Billen. Inclined Bed Therapy and Diabetes: The Effect of Inclined Bed Therapy on Diabetes individuals. University of the South Pacific, College of Micronesia, Federated States of Micronesia. Retrieved from newmediaexplorer.org.

4. Andrew K. Fletcher's website is inclinedbedtherapy.com.

5. John and Jean Simkins. Raised Bed Survey. An independent report from the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC).