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Inclined Bed Therapy

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
fortunately for me my bed is rigid so just propping the back legs with a couple of bricks has done it.

Are you raising the foot end of the bed? I think most of us are trying to raise the head end.

Sushi
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
Thanks so much. To what pic are you referring? And also, which FB group?

My bed is a sleigh bed with bun feet. It's really solid. I'd put a pic up, but I don't know how.

this fb group https://www.facebook.com/InclinedBedTherapy?fref=photo

and this pic
ibt-woman.jpg

which isn't relevant to your situation as its not like your bed. i would guess the
above set up is the hardest to prop.

so i guess yours is like this:
River%20House_39375B-b2.jpg


nice style of bed if so. well i suppose, for me, just looking from that, it looks good for a couple flat bricks at the head end under each bun, just to try it out, but i still wouldn't know how to check if the middle were supported. bit tricky really, what if the bed's structure breaks from my advice eeek. if theres no support needed in the middle then a couple of house bricks might be a good way to try it out as they're about 2-3 inches high and maybe thats a good plact to start. as for damage risk over time, tricky to say wihout seeing the bed and set up; how the buns are attached etc..

saw these inflattable bed wedges though a bit pricey and i avoid anything plastic in my bed, personally, http://www.gravity1st.com/shop-sleep-head-elevated/#!/~/product/category=0&id=19328461

amazon have 141 listings for "bed elevators" http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=dp_brw_link?ie=UTF8&node=3732271

i know thats probably too many ideas, wish i could be more helpfull, any q's feel free
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
@manna Yes, that's exactly like my bed! And no, you didn't give too many ideas - I appreciate all of them. I hadn't even thought about the middle being supported, but you are right. That could be a big problem. Seems maybe the only way to accomplish this feat is a wedge under my mattress - but $249!! Yikes.

My bed also weighs about a million pounds. I may need to try this in one of my kids beds (they're at college most of the time) before I have someone take my bed apart and rig it.

Is there anybody out there who's rigged a similar bed? Anybody at all? Thanks.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Well that sucked! Worst night sleep in years (and that's saying something, as I've been able to get reasonable sleep these days, using a cocktail of meds)

I ended up using a series of folded quilts under my mattress, as my bed is just to heavy for me to lift and elevate the legs. It worded reasonably well. giving me about a 3" lift.

I slept like crap. I woke repeatedly, curled up in a ball. It was as if my body knew it was going to roll down a hill. This morning, my feet are numb, I have cramps in my calves (odd), and needless to say, I'm crashing from the lack of rest. Ugghh.

Any suggestions? Experiences? Encouragement? Lottery winnings to share? Youth serum?

Thanks.
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
it has to be the legs so the whole body stays flat. (im now a specialist btw ;). i suppose a specially made wedge might do it but foam would belly, just like futons do. apparently its bad for you to sleep with just your back raised as it creates lumbar pressure, or something that'll strangle you in your sleep. but to illustrate that support be evenly distributed over your whole frame, i.e. flat but inclined. to be flat the whole mattress has to be uniformly inclined else weight will not be evenly distributed. sounds like you're trying to sleep on a loosely tied bag of spuds :confused:

if you did manage to get it right then maybe its too much too soon. maybe not for you. in polarity therapy the calf muscles are supposedly reflex zones for the colon.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
@manna Yeah, I think I blew it lol. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but it sure helps if those desperate measures are done right :lol:
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
@SDSue i think it could be easy to mistake this with just propping yourself up, which in itself might have some benefit sometimes. but this, from what i can gather, works by the fact your are still flat, physically speaking, just at an angle. propped is a part of your body, id say. not that thats what you did, but to speak generally about it. im finding 2.5 inches to be plenty for now. its still having affects so must be fairly powerfull. the affects that some folk have seem to be so pronounced that going slow would seem very necessary. to be honest, 6 inches seems alot, not sure i could do it again, certainly makes yer bed look silly. it actually feels flat after a few days, a common occurrence apparently. also i have a cotton futon...id imagine anything polyester and sprung and you'll be more likely to slide. i didn't slide even at 6 inches though most do i think. the sliding is probably why they had foot rests in the pictures.

if i was just round the block id pop round :nervous:

be carefull
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Thanks, @manna - If you were just round the block, I'd be popping round for movie night once in a while :D

On to plan B - gonna see if there's a way to prop my box spring - if I end up breaking my bed, is it OK if I blame you lol.
 
Messages
15,786
If you search for "bed blocks" you should be able to see some commercial products which can be put under the legs of the bed. Basically they have a dip in the middle so the legs fit into them somewhat and don't go sliding off, like it would with a plain brick or block.

If your bed feet are too thick to fit into them, you might be able to screw the feet off. But even a dip that they don't fit into properly would probably be enough to keep the bed stable.

It looks like Walmart has them :D
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
@Valentijn thanks so much. This is turning into a much bigger ordeal than I bargained for. lol Because there's also a center support leg, I have to find a way to prop that, also. I'm thinking I may need to use a 4x4 at the head and a 2x4 at the center. I can't think of anything else that would be easy.

Either way, I'm going to need to dismantle the bed (and then probably lie in it for about 3 days lol!
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
@SDSue it might be easier to build a double bed sized wooden slat for the mattress, to go on top of the bed base, and prop that up. there were pics on the web of people doing that. i suppose i take these things for granted as im quite good with d.i.y. stuff. yeah blame me if it all goes t*** up. break a leg whilst you're at it :p i tell ya a nice vid would go down a treat. mcs folk are tricky to visit though even if your next door. florida, its not on the itineray. my son was in miami last year.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Thanks, @manna I used to be handy, too, in my former life. Now? Not so much lol.
I need to look for some pics to find a really really easy method:)
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I have been looking at this idea to see if it helps with the severe POTS symptoms that I experience every single morning. I have not tried it yet but will report back when I do!
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
@Gingergrrl43 was just reading your post on leaky gut. good choices/decisions on where problems, and help, may lie i think:). i hope this will help. please go slowly. a report, in favour or not, will be generally helpfull. atb
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@Gingergrrl43 was just reading your post on leaky gut. good choices/decisions on where problems, and help, may lie i think:). i hope this will help. please go slowly. a report, in favour or not, will be generally helpfull. atb

@manna Thanks and I will give a full report once I am further along with the diet and gut repair supplements.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I tried this last year (for my OI) - I had heavy-duty foam wedges cut to my spec (about £120, I think) by a local firm and inserted them under my mattress. I had a full-length wedge done so my entire body was on a tilt and the mattress was raised about 10" (I think) at the head.

I tried it for 3 months but it didn't do anything for me one way or the other, I'm afraid. Doesn't mean it won't do anything for anyone else, though. We're all different!

If my bed base wasn't in two sections I'd have bought those raisers like Valentijn suggested, which would have been much cheaper, and would have got someone in to lift the bed and fit them.
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
Shame it didn't help @Sasha. Andrew Wakefield, the "re-inventor", recommends against foam because it will lose it's shape to some extent. Also the 10 degrees must be wrong as 5 degrees is a whopping 6.5 inches and that would make 10 degrees over double that at 13 inches plus with the curve...folk can fall down the bed on just seven inches. In case you were doing just your back, which you could do at 10 degrees, but is also not advised due to pressure on the lumbar region and because it doesn't give the benefits. Just thought I'd say in case what you did is different though maybe it was the same and just didn't work. Thanks for input.

I hope anyone who's trying it is getting some benefits..atb..
 
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