Medical studies have revealed that raising the head of the bed may help alleviate symptoms of acid reflux during the night, a method that intersects with advice given by billionaire Elon Musk to his followers via the "X" platform.
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Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, told those suffering from nighttime acid reflux: "Put a stack of books under the top of the bed frame, at the head end," explaining that the entire bed should be slightly tilted downwards towards the feet.
Musk has previously offered similar advice, suggesting raising the head of the bed by about 5 centimeters and avoiding eating for three hours before bedtime. But does this method actually work?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux or heartburn, occurs when stomach contents flow back up into the esophagus, causing some people to experience a burning sensation in the chest.
Many sufferers experience worsening symptoms at night because lying down reduces the effect of gravity, which helps keep stomach contents in place. Eating shortly before bedtime can also exacerbate the problem.
For this reason, a number of experts advise avoiding eating late at night and raising the head of the bed, rather than simply raising the head with an extra pillow.
Dr. Luay Al-Barghouti, associate professor of evidence medicine at Bond University, told the Daily Mail that tilting the bed so that the head is higher than the stomach takes advantage of gravity to help prevent stomach contents from refluxing into the esophagus during sleep, noting that studies have shown this may reduce the esophagus's exposure to acid overnight.
In a 2012 study, researchers placed 20-centimeter-high wooden blocks under the headboard. Sixty-five percent of participants reported improved sleep quality, while the number of prolonged acid reflux episodes decreased from more than three per night to about one on average.
A scientific review published in 2021, which included five trials and 228 patients, concluded that raising the head of the bed may be a simple, inexpensive, and relatively safe option for people with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
However, this method is not without its drawbacks. In a 2020 study, 39 patients who slept in beds raised 20 centimeters for six weeks experienced improved reflux symptoms, but researchers found no improvement in overall quality of life. More than half of the participants also reported side effects, including slipping out of bed, swollen feet and ankles, neck or lower back pain, and other problems related to their sleeping position.
These effects were severe for about a quarter of the participants, prompting them to stop raising the bed level.
The available evidence suggests, on the whole, that raising the head of the bed may help some people with acid reflux, but it is not suitable for everyone, and more studies are still needed to determine the best degree of bed tilt with minimal side effects.
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