One of the things I’ve learned through all of this is that there isn’t just one way to create a full-body incline.
When I started, I wasn’t looking for a new mattress or an elaborate sleep system. I already liked my queen-size gel memory foam mattress. I simply wanted to see whether changing the angle of my sleep surface might help with the hip and shoulder discomfort that was waking me at night.
That’s why the 6-inch foam wedge appealed to me. I could put it underneath my existing mattress, keep my regular box spring and bedding, and try the concept without changing everything else about my bed.
As I started researching, though, I learned that there are several ways to create a full-body incline. Some people start with very simple DIY methods. In fact, the Incline Sleep website has a DIY section with videos and examples showing different ways people have elevated the head end of their beds without purchasing a special sleep system.
Then there are under-mattress foam wedges like mine, fixed inclined foundations, and adjustable foundations that allow the entire sleep surface to tilt.
The adjustable versions are particularly interesting to me because the only real negative I’ve found with my wedge is cosmetic—I don’t necessarily love seeing my bed inclined during the day. Eventually I’d like to try an Incline Sleep 100 or 500 so I could return the bed to flat during the day and experiment with different incline positions at night.
I do want to be clear that the 6-inch foam wedge is the only method I’ve personally used. My interest in the other options comes from what I’ve been learning, not from firsthand experience with those products.
Probably my biggest takeaway is that exploring full-body incline doesn’t necessarily mean replacing a mattress you already like. In my case, I didn’t change my mattress at all. I changed one other variable: the angle of the sleep surface.
Until I stumbled across inclined sleeping, I didn’t even know that was a variable worth considering.
And that’s really why I’ve become so interested in sharing what I’m learning—not because I think everyone needs to sleep the way I do, but because I think it’s an option worth knowing exists.