What Sleeping On The Floor Has Taught Me

I’ve spent a solid portion of my life crafting the ideal sleeping environment.

A plush pillow top mattress with organic cotton, merino wool, and down toppers. Only the most luxurious sheets and blankets. Pillows of every variety to fit the mood of the moment.

And then I started sleeping in my car((For… reasons… I chose to sleep in my car at different times in my life that had nothing to do with finances.)).

That first night in my car was miserable; I’m certain the Honda Accord was not designed to be slept in.

Some time later when I was no longer sleeping in my car I shopped for a new vehicle and brought a tape measure with me((For anyone wondering, if you’re 5’5″ or shorter you can very comfortably sleep in a the Ford Edge SUV.)).

In the ambulance I’ve had a few different beds. I made my own with several layers of organic latex; that lasted about a year before they broke down enough to be useless as a mattress. Then I went through several iterations of traditional mattress; all of which were too tall for the space long-term.

As summer approached this year I knew I needed a solution that would give me more headspace above my bed. The heat of summer would make sleeping hot a guarantee with so little breathing room.

And on a few of the hot days that came, I found myself sleeping on the floor where it was the coolest.

The floor also became my sanctuary when I was stressed, I’d lay down a towel and put a cold wet rag over my eyes to meditate and relax.

Despite my assumptions that plush was best, the floor proved to be more restful than anything I’d ever purchased. I went down a rabbit-hole filled with tatami mats and Japanese futons.

Eventually, I tore my mattress apart, salvaging the measly 2″ organic latex foam layer and discarding 13″ of coils and “stuff”. That is now the bulk of my mattress now, mostly it’s just bed platform.

Since that change I’ve experienced some of the best sleep of my life. For the most part I’ve stopped side-sleeping and wake up with less aches around my shoulders and hips than I used to.

Now that summer has firmly settled into Southern California, I’ve been “camping” out on the roof of my house, sleeping on a yoga mat without a care in the world and more cozy than any 5-star mattress.

I even bought a wooden pillow which pairs well with the buckwheat neck pillow I’ve been sleeping with for years.

Like so many lessons learned while living in my ambulance, sleeping on the floor has reinforced the idea that I should question all assumptions and move out of what I perceive as the ideal comfort zone.

Try This…

If you decide to give sleeping on the floor a try, here are some things that might help you get along more quickly.

1. There can be an adjustment period while your body gets accustomed to the change. You’ll no longer be able to “sink” certain parts of your body into a mattress so expect to feel more pressure in certain areas while adjusting.
2. Your body’s posture may need to go through change as well before you find the most comfort on such a firm sleeping surface. If you have posture imbalances like hyperkyphosis and/or hyperlordosis((Exaggerated curvature of the kyphotic or lordotic portions of the spine. In hyperkyphosis you see a forward head posture, shoulders that are slumped and rounded forwards, and often the individual experiences chronic pain in the upper back. Hyperlordosis is also sometimes referred to as swayback posture. Although you have two lordotic curves in the spine (the cervical and lumbar sections) hyperlordosis is most specifically describing the lumbar (low back) curvature.
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   )) you may need to work on stretching and correcting those postural imbalances to improve the comfort of your sleep. The hard sleeping surface also supports improving those imbalances.
3. When laying on your back spend time with your arms down by your sides, out perpendicular to your body, and laid out above your head. This will promote increasing the range of motion in your shoulder joints and reduce the risk of pressure points as you adjust.
4. When laying on your back, if you have hyperlordosis especially, you may find you need to keep your knees raised at first to reduce the pressure on your low back and avoid pressure points on your tailbone or pelvis. Stretches and strength exercises((If you have Hyperlordosis stretch these: pectorals, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), longus colli strengthen these: all back muscles with emphasis on upper back.)) can help change this for the long term.
   When laying on your stomach placing a pillow under your abdomen will be helpful until any hyperlordosis can be corrected.
5. To keep your spine in the best alignment, avoid a traditional pillow under your head. Instead, opt for a neck roll made out of organic cotton, buckwheat, or wood. If you try a wooden pillow, just fold a small towel over it before use.
6. Sleeping on your stomach is a great variation to stretch your pectorals while sleeping. If you have severe hyperkyphosis this position may not be possible yet. Work on stretching your pectorals more and work up to it. Also, if you have a difficult time turning your head 90 degrees to each side stomach sleeping may be impossible at this stage. Stretching your neck muscles to increase the rotational range of motion can help make this position possible.

If you give it a try, let me know how it went!