I’ve been subscribed to Nexus Magazine for a long time. The articles and information are always interesting, and much of the time, very useful and helpful. It’s byline is: “The world’s No. 1 magazine for alternative news, health, future science, and the unexplained.” It’s been my go-to source for such information.

The April/May 2016 issue contains an article titled “Inclined Bed Therapy: A New Angle on Health.” I read it one evening and got very excited. I get excited about good ideas for better health on a budget. Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT) seems to be such a tool.

Here’s the introductory paragraph:

There are some things in life that we seem to accept without question. For most of us in Western countries, sleeping in a horizontal position is one of them. However, after studying the circulatory system in plants, one man questioned the logic in our flat bed theory. Andrew K. Fletcher has found that raising a bed six to eight inches (15-20cm) at the head seems to generate remarkable improvements for many people suffering conditions such as circulatory and respiratory issues, diabetes, leg ulcers, migraines, multiple sclerosis, oedema, Parkinson’s disease, skin problems, spinal cord injuries, varicose veins, and many more.

Mr. Fletcher has a mechanical engineering background. His inquiry began by considering circulation of sap in plants. He says that downward flow generates return flow via molecular drag. Fletcher theorizes that trees use the force of gravity to propel a kind of elevator that carries the sap up and down the trunks and through the branches which is a structure that is very similar to the network of veins and arteries in human beings. It’s all about circulation!

The results of IBT on a variety of disorders have been highly positive, to simply astounding.

Fletcher tells a story of a female multiple sclerosis sufferer who had constant pain in her left thigh making walking difficult. Using books to incline her bed, almost overnight her pain was gone. The incline of the bed did not go well for her husband, however, so they de-clined the bed. Her pain came back. They once again inclined the bed, and since 1998 the woman has had no pain and her neurologist released her from further treatment.

I looked for bed lifts in local hardware stores and box stores, not finding any such thing. I knew what I was looking, and found several options on Amazon, ordered, cost $20, and they came in three days ago. We’ve been sleeping on our inclined bed since then.

We purchased a set of lifts that raise from 3″ to 8″. The optimal height, I read, is between 6″ and 8″; optimal lift is 5%. The six inch height seems pretty reasonable.

I’ve notice one interesting thing – I’ve had stapedectomies (replacement of stapes bone with prosthesis) in each ear. Before that I regularly heard my heart beat in my ears; after, not much, or at all. On the first night on the inclined bed, I noticed that I was hearing my heart beat in my ears. What does that mean? I have no idea! They talk about IBT affecting circulation. I am imagining this is behind what I’m noticing. It’s also spring, which brings congestions in head and chest.

Sleeping on an inclined bed feels fine. We are quickly getting used to it being a ‘normal’ thing. It’s a little easier to just roll out of bed, since there is a slope downward. If it can achieve even part of the results others have experienced, I’m thinking it will be great. It’s an easy thing to try, cost effective, and easily reversible if it doesn’t work for any reason.

Here’s a link to Andrew Fletecher’s website on IBT: http://inclinedbedtherapy.com

Best of Health!

~ Anais

Categories: Health

Tags: aging, alternative, IBT, inclined bed, Nexus