Needing to lie flat

[Creekside]

It's just my body screaming to lie flat.

For me, it'e easiest to fall asleep lying on my left side. I get into bed, lying on my right side for a while, then I roll over and it "feels right". What is being sensed where, and processed where, remains a mystery. There must be some data on whether people can learn to change their preferred sleeping position. Easy to change, or difficult, or almost impossible?

 

[Creekside]

I would be curious to hear what other types of things the brain could be monitoring to produce symptoms when upright though.

That reminds me of a vehicle (popular American brand?) that would prevent starting if a rear brake light (maybe other lights too) was burned out. Who thought that was a good design decision?

The developing brain probably makes some random connections that turn out to be a bad "decision". If it's obviously bad early on, it may get pruned out. If it causes problems decades later, it may not get pruned out, especially if it has some benefit. Are phobias completely bad, or did they have some evolutionary benefit for some people?

I still wonder about the possible evolutionary benefits of strong irrational beliefs.

 

[darrellpf]

For the past 20 years "needing to lie flat" has been my mantra

I've been taking high blood pressure medication for many years. Recently I discovered that without blood pressure medication I'm 120/80 most of the time lying down, but 150/100 pretty much all the time I'm upright.

I've said for years that orthostatic hyper(!)tension is not easily diagnosed. It fits with fainting and tachycardia responses. I also note it is a cerebral perfusion technique. Most doctors take blood pressure when a patient is in the office sitting (after a long wait/trek) to the doctors office. Even when a cardiologist looks for orthostatic issues, they are often looking at the shift from sitting to standing.

Also, only the end result is measured, ie, the blood pressure. Often the levels of aldosterone on renin are not measured. My renin levels have been measured multiple times at 10x the normal upper limit. Kidney stones ruled out, doctorly shrug. I point out that if the renin levels are pinned high, but aldosterone is normal, then it is likely the signal is being ignored and the body is compensating using backup systems.

My greatest successes with supplements and the ones that I continue to use, have been ones that reduce blood pressure. My current regime of lowering blood pressure and being careful about glucose spikes has given me a huge amount of energy, both physically and mentally.