You are tired like hell. Bones are aching with pain. Body needs rest and sleep, immediate sleep. Where are you going to sleep? Obviously on a bed! Think of our grandparents and ancestors who were all hale-and-hearty sleeping on the floor. And they lived long and had fewer ailments than most of us today. The questions arise- how? and why?
Let’s find out how sleeping on the floor can turn out to be the biggest “health boon” for us.
What Does Sleeping On The Floor Mean?
One of the greatest pleasures you can give to yourself and your body is sleeping on the floor. You can let go of yourself, as there is less of ‘tossing and turning’ around. It also helps you to wake up early and gives you a whole lot of benefits.
How To Sleep On The Floor?
‘On your back’ – this is the best sleeping position you can give to yourself. It aligns your body, gives it the relaxation it needs, and makes you sleep like a baby.Though it might be a little uncomfortable in the beginning, you just have to condition your body to the floor. Everything else will fall in place.
Best Position To Sleep For Lower Back Pain?
I know pain in lower back can be very disturbing when it comes to getting a sound sleep. But there are two positions which can be of help:
- When sleeping on the side: Place a pillow between your knees. Also, avoid making your top leg falling over your bottom leg
- When sleeping on your back: Put a pillow under your knees. Alternatively, you can also put a rolled-up towel under your back curve.
What are the benefits of floor-sleeping? Let’s check out the same.
Benefits Of Sleeping On The Floor
Fortunately, this time you don’t have to think hard on the type and lavishness of the bed. Floor zindabad! How so?
Read below:
1. Maintaining a good posture
Have a good posture already? Able to sleep on your back without any problem? Sounds perfect! This will give your body a “natural” sleeping position. The bones and joints will be aligned in a sound fashion. Top it all, your muscle will not feel tensed or get strained.
2. Improving your body or bone alignment
“Patience” plays a pivotal role here. It gives you a natural body position for sleeping. And gives you the body space to help repair the bones and joints that are ill-aligned. Though it is a slow process of healing and improving, it is worth!
3. Tranquility
A sense of repose! That’s what sleeping on the wooden floor brings. You need not bother about the world, the troubles, and the anxieties it brings. No worries. And, definitely, no regrets!
4. Aligns hips
Pain-related problems in the spine happen due to the misalignment of the hips and shoulder. When you sleep naturally on the ground, it helps align the hips with shoulders in a better way.
5. Aligns shoulders
You see, shoulders that are misaligned can be of immense strain on your neck and back. This can be the cause of chronic pain and even headaches. When you chose to opt for a straight wooden floor, you are getting the perfect solution to realign your shoulders.
6. Preserve the health of your spine
Did you know, your spine holds your central nervous system? It is directly linked to the brain. When you maintain a good posture, you are on your way to having a good and healthy way for your spine too. Chances of badly positioned backbone are very much reduced.
7. Your body gets a stretch while you sleep
Mattresses are an enemy to the body’s natural alignment. They make the hips sink in and the lower back to collapse. When you sleep on the floor, you are giving your body adequate room to stretch naturally.
8. Reduce lower back pain (and other pain caused by bad posture)
Ever thought of or explored the idea of sleeping without your underwear? It has some amount of impact on your back pain. One of the reasons of lower back pain is due to pinched nerves or a bone dislocation.
9. Aligning both your hips and shoulders
Mis-alignment of the hips and shoulder is the central reason for pain in shoulders, back (upper and lower), forearm, chest, collarbone, the base of the neck, head, shoulder blades, etc. Sleeping on the floor helps improve the alignment of your hips and shoulders, and reduces the pain.
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10. It is simpler
No special tools or furniture is needed when it comes to sleeping on the floor. You just need yourself, that’s it.
11. It is cheaper
Needless to say, sleeping on the floor is the cheapest option available when it comes to sleeping habits. Try it out! You will know!
12. Worry-free sleeping
Torn blanket or worn duvet, stained bed sheet or pillow cover torn – all these are a thing of the past when you sleep on the floor. No bedding frame is required. Just let loose and let your body relax! No worries!
13. Lessen the possibility of wrong sleeping position
When you sleep on the floor, there is no slouching and no sinking. You sleep naturally just the way your body demands.
14.Lessen the chance of suffocating:
Why depend on a pillow for some good sleep, when there is nature to get you one? Avoiding soft pillows means less of suffocating yourself.
15. Lead you to a good mental well being and lessen the stress
When you get into a natural sleeping position, it sends the signal to the brain that it is happy! This boosts your optimism in your daily life.
Let us now look at the type of sleep postures on floor and floor pads:
Sleeping On Floor Postures
Your spine is paining? It does to most of us. Sad! But don’t you worry! The right sleep posture can correct your aggravating spinal pain.
For information on incorrect Vs correct sleeping postures, see the pictorial representation below:
Picture 1. Sleeping on the back with legs stretched out is one of the best sleeping positions as the neck feels aligned due to the pillow just underneath it. Although it is more correct to also put a high support (i.e. diwan pillow) under your knees. This helps in reducing the pressure on the pelvis as well as the back.
Picture 2. Sleeping on the stomach is generally not preferred due to the unnatural placement of the neck as well as excessive pressure on the lower spinal muscles offering them with little or no support. While the neck placement can be corrected by putting the head on a pillow that is beneath the neck too, another pillow underneath the waist and pelvic area could reduce the stretching of spinal muscles.
Picture 3. Sleeping straight on your back while your pillow supports only your neck? You’re doing it wrong. Make sure the pillow gives good support to the neck as well, and place two more soft pillows under the back and knees. This gives great support to the body on a whole.
Picture 4. Sleeping in the left lateral or right lateral position might be comfortable for most people. How do sleep correctly in that position? A pillow between your legs could keep you comfortable as well as reduce pressure on the spine. As usual, the pillow should give your head as well as your neck good support.
Sleeping On The Floor Pads
“Cushioning” and “Insulation” – The role of the sleeping pads is to deliver on these two counts. Any idea on the types of floor pads available? There are 3 of them as listed below:
- Air Pads: Ideal for backpacking, air pads have insulation to increase warmth. You have to inflate them with your breath (it takes 3 min or less). They are comfy and lightweight.
- Self-Inflating Pads: These pads offer you a combo of foam insulation and air. You just need to open the pad’s valve. Then what happens? Air fills the chambers automatically. Good choice for kids.
- Closed-Cell Foam Pads: These are “backpacking” pads made of dense foam, and filled with closed air cells. Closed-cell foam pads are usually rolled up or folded in a Z formation.
Sleeping is a must to refresh and energize your body. And when you sleep on the floor, you not only enhance “spine” support, you also end up giving relief to the strained and aching muscles.
Those of you suffering from a health condition which needs you to sleep in a special bed, might find sleeping on the floor impractical. Still, try it out for a few nights to check whether it is good for your back or not. If not, then give it up!
Hope you found this piece useful and fruitful. Write in your replies and comments.
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3 comments
Is it okay to sleep without a pillow?
Yes, it is okay to sleep without a pillow. Studies have shown that sleeping without a pillow can also prevents ailments like neck pain and spine problems.
Speak to your chiropractor or doctor before you do this. I am stunned that in such an enlightened age that we live in that someone could make such a reckless recommendation. Instead of the haphazard put a pillow under your knees or lower back, get fitted to the right mattress. We only get one back and having extensive knowledge of human physiology and spinal conditions I strongly advocate you get some medical advice before trying this.
I agree, sleeping on our back is optimal, but sleeping without correct lumbar support could lead to muscle spasm and pain, a disc prolapse or worse.
Floors are dirty, insects and mice move through even the cleanest homes.
As far as this practice aligning our joints I think science would disagree, a correctly fitted mattress, designed by experts in spinal and musculoskeletal physiology might be better.
I am all for a well-written piece with a touch of sensationalism or topical appeal but this practice is risky.
Sorry to sound harsh but backs are precious and we only get one, bad idea to take chances with it. Stretching on the floor as you describe while you are conscious and aware of pain and discomfort is a great idea, sleeping where the pain threshold needs to be much higher to get your attention when something is wrong should scare people.