Elon Musk claims he sleeps with a pile of BOOKS under his head to 'help with digestion' - but does it really work?

Although he's best known for his rockets and electric cars, Elon Musk has taken to social media to hand out some highly unusual medical advice.The SpaceX CEO told users on X that he sleeps with a stack of books under his head to 'help with digestion'.Mr Musk recommended users suffering from acid reflux at night 'pile some books under the head–end section of the bedframe'.He continued: 'Whole bed should have a slight downward tilt towards your feet.'So, does sleeping with a pile of books under your head really work?According to scientists, there might actually be some method behind the madness. Elon Musk told users on X that sleeping with a stack of books under his head 'helps with digestion' and reduces 'stomach acid back flow' Although Musk's sleeping tips might seem unusual, scientific evidence suggests he could be correct This is not the first time Mr Musk has used social media to share unsolicited medical advice for acid reflux sufferers.Mr Musk previously recommended: 'For improved quality of sleep, raise head of your bed by about 3' or 5cm and don't eat 3 hours before bedtime.'He then told the YouTuber Mr Beast there is a 'good chance you're experiencing at least mild acid reflux at night, affecting quality sleep without consciousness awareness'.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), better known as acid reflux or heartburn, is caused when acid from the stomach flows back upwards into the oesophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest.Normally, a small muscle called the lower oesophageal sphincter keeps this acid down, but this muscle is weak in as many as one in five adults, causing acid to escape at unwanted times.Attacks of heartburn are especially common at night, since lying flat helps gravity wash stomach acid back up into the throat.Eating shortly before going to bed makes this even worse because food triggers the stomach to produce even more acid to aid with digestion.This is why many medical experts agree with Mr Musk, suggesting that sufferers avoid eating late at night and prop their beds up at an angle.Experts at Harvard Health Publishing suggest that people should 'elevate the head of your bed at least six inches'.They continue: 'If possible, put wooden blocks under the legs at the head of the bed. Or, use a solid foam wedge under the head portion of the mattress.' Elon Musk claimed that elevating the head of the bed by a few inches is enough to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux at night One 2012 study tested this approach with 7.8–inch (20cm) wooden blocks placed under the head of the bed, asking participants how they slept and assessing physical changes with an oesophageal pH test.The researchers found that 65 per cent of participants reported improved sleep, while the number of prolonged acid reflux episodes fell from more than three per night to an average of one.Likewise, a 2021 review of five trials involving 228 patients concluded that elevating the head of the bed was a 'cheap, safe alternative to drugs' for those suffering from GERD.However, anyone keen to follow Mr Musk's advice should be aware that there are some significant drawbacks.The first is that some studies have shown only limited improvements to GERD symptoms and overall sleep quality.In one study, published in 2020, researchers had 39 patients who were being medically treated for acid reflux sleep in beds elevated by 7.8 inches (20cm) for six weeks.While they found that the symptoms of acid reflux improved, the researchers found no effect on overall quality of life.Additionally, over half of the patients reported some sort of adverse reaction to sleeping with their head elevated.Those effects included sliding out of bed, swelling in the feet and ankles due to venous insufficiency, neck or lower back pain, and even 'sexual problems associated with the tilting of the bed'.For a quarter of participants, these effects were so severe that they had to stop elevating their bed as a result, despite improvements to their symptoms.The researchers wrote: 'The unexpectedly high percentage of adverse effects casts doubt on whether the net risk–benefit balance for the patient is favourable, and additional studies may be necessary in order to find the least degree of bed tilting that still maintains a therapeutic effect, while minimising the adverse effects of this non–pharmacological therapy.'