WASHINGTON, US: Elon Musk may have access to some of the world’s most expensive mattresses and sleep technology, but his unusual solution to nighttime acid reflux involves something much simpler, a pile of books under the head of his bed.
Just pile some books under the head-end section of the bedframe. Whole bed should have a slight downward tilt towards your feet. It helps with digestion and reducing stomach acid back flow.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 28, 2026
Musk has said he sleeps with his bed slightly tilted, with the head end raised, claiming the position helps with digestion and acid reflux. “The whole bed should have a slight downward tilt towards your feet,” Musk wrote on X while responding to a discussion about nighttime reflux.
While the billionaire’s book-supported bed may sound eccentric, the basic idea behind it is supported by medical guidance.
Why raising the bed may help?
Acid reflux occurs when stomach contents flow back into the oesophagus. Symptoms can become worse when a person lies flat because gravity no longer helps keep stomach contents down.
The American College of Gastroenterology recommends elevating the head of the bed for people experiencing nighttime GERD symptoms. It advises raising the head by about 6 to 10 inches, preferably using an under-mattress wedge rather than simply adding pillows.
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Research cited by the American College of Gastroenterology has also found that elevating the head of the bed with blocks or foam wedges can improve nighttime reflux symptoms and oesophageal acid exposure.
That means Musk’s basic principle, creating an incline rather than sleeping completely flat, is not merely a celebrity wellness theory. However, the books themselves have no special medical benefit.
Elon Musk claims he sleeps with a pile of BOOKS under his head to ‘help with digestion’ – but does it really work? https://t.co/wlTA3vjO2r
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) September 28, 2026
Books or a proper bed wedge?
Simply placing several pillows under the head may not produce the same effect because it can bend the body rather than creating a gradual incline from the upper body downward.
Medical guidance instead recommends elevating the entire upper end of the bed or using a suitable wedge. The American College of Gastroenterology specifically notes that pillows are not an effective substitute for raising the head of the bed.
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Musk’s choice of books is nevertheless fitting. He has frequently spoken about his love of reading and has credited books with helping him learn about subjects including rocket science.
So, while books may be holding up Musk’s bed, gravity, not the books, is the part that may help reduce nighttime reflux.
