Sleep apparatus including sleep surface with torso-rest

Abstract

A bed including a sleep surface, and an overhanging torso-rest coplanar with the sleep surface. The torso-rest is sufficiently long and wide to support at least a portion of the torso of a body lying prone, but sufficiently narrow to permit the upper extremities of said torso to flank and at least rest at least in part below the sleep surface of the bed.

1 . A bed comprising:
 a sleep surface; and   an overhanging torso-rest substantially coplanar with the sleep surface.   
     
     
         2 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is substantially contiguous with the sleep surface. 
     
     
         3 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is unitary with the sleep surface. 
     
     
         4 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is removably attached to the bed. 
     
     
         5 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is movably attached to the bed. 
     
     
         6 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is at least cantilevered. 
     
     
         7 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is non-cantilevered. 
     
     
         8 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is sufficiently sized and shaped to support at least part of the torso of a user of the bed. 
     
     
         9 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is sufficiently sized and shaped whereby at least a portion of at least one of the upper extremities of the user flanks the torso-rest. 
     
     
         10 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is sufficiently sized and shaped whereby at least a portion of at least one of the upper extremities of the user comes to rest at least below the level of the ceiling-facing surface of said torso-rest. 
     
     
         11 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of a width of the torso-rest approximates a distance between the axillae of a user. 
     
     
         12 . The torso-rest of  claim 1 , wherein the width of said torso-rest is operable to be varied. 
     
     
         13 . The torso-rest of  claim 1 , wherein the length of said torso-rest is operable to be varied. 
     
     
         14 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest lies beyond a perimeter of the sleep surface. 
     
     
         15 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest lies within a perimeter of the sleep surface. 
     
     
         16 . The bed of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one auxiliary support for supporting at least one of a user's body parts situated at least partially off of the sleep surface. 
     
     
         17 . The bed of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one auxiliary support comprises a headrest. 
     
     
         18 . The bed of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one auxiliary support comprises an armrest. 
     
     
         19 . The bed of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one auxiliary support is removably attached to the bed. 
     
     
         20 . The bed of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one auxiliary support is movably attached to the bed. 
     
     
         21 . The bed of  claim 1 , wherein the torso-rest is used to support at least part of a user's lower head to reduce or obviate contact with said user's skin longitudinally above the shoulders. 
     
     
         22 . The bed of  claim 16 , wherein the torso-rest and the at least one auxiliary cooperate to reduce contact with said user's skin longitudinally above the shoulders. 
     
     
         23 . The bed of  claim 16 , wherein at least one auxiliary is used to support at least part of a user's head to reduce or obviate contact with said user's skin longitudinally above the shoulders. 
     
     
         24 . A mattress comprising a section that may at least be generally flanked by at least a portion of the upper extremities of a prone user. 
     
     
         25 . A section of a sleep surface of a sleeping apparatus that protrudes sufficiently for supporting at least a portion of a torso of a prone user while permitting at least a portion of said user's upper extremities to generally flank and at least come to rest at least below the general vertical height of said section. 
     
     
         26 . A method of enhancing a sleep surface of a sleeping apparatus comprising:
 providing the sleep surface with a section that protrudes sufficiently from the sleep surface to support at least a portion of a torso of a prone user and to at least permit at least a portion of the user's upper extremities to generally flank and at least come to rest at least below the general vertical height of said section.   
     
     
         27 . A method for improving a mattress's accommodation of a body lying prone comprising:
 providing a mattress with an overhanging protrusion;   lying a body down with at least a portion of the torso of the body upon the protrusion;   flanking the protrusion with upper extremities of the body; and   permitting at least a portion of the upper extremities to rest below the level of the ceiling-facing surface of the protrusion.