A method for monitoring an occupant of an occupant support comprises 1) establishing a lateral position history of the occupant, which history includes an assessment of how frequently the occupants head undergoes a lateral transition on a head support, 2) establishing a vertical position history of the occupant which accounts for how frequently the weight of the occupants head is applied to and removed from the head support, and 3) if the lateral position history indicates sustained repetitive lateral movement or the vertical history indicates other than sustained presence of the occupants head on the head support, reporting that the occupant is in a state other than an acceptable state.
