You consider sleeping without bed frame recently. We review some of the health benefits of sleeping on the floor here. Is it surprising to know that there are people who never sleep on their beds? This is a shocking fact in western world; however, there are many civilizations that did not use beds at all. Some of the early tribes even slept on horses while they are in motion. Compared to our ancestors, we are more spoiled to the comfort that is available for us currently. Our knowledge nowadays are more advanced than our ancestors and people are constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of life. Most people usually work for lengthy hours the entire day, and it is natural for them to desire the softness of a a mattress or pillows when they are home. Well, it is a fact that sleeping on poor bedding can negatively affect your body and even endanger your overall health. The alternative way is to simply lie down on a mattress on the floor, or you can just opt not to use any bedding at all. This is quite common in eastern portions of the world, particularly in Asian countries.
In this article, we will tackle the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping on the floor since many western people have adapted it recently. Let us examine the drawbacks and benefits of sleeping like our forefathers. You can also try this out if you want, since you can just always go back to your usual way of sleeping if you think this does not fit you well. Dr Alan Mendell explains why sleeping on the floor is better than mattress below:
Health benefits of sleeping on the floor
Is sleeping on the floor good for you? Here are the advantages:
- The key advantage of getting rid of your raised bed and sleeping on the floor is enhanced blood circulation throughout your body. Some of the health benefits include reduced back and neck pain. These are the same advantages that you can get if you don’t use a pillow. Those who sleep on a mattress on the floor have fewer tendencies to acquire scoliosis, a health condition that is characterized by the occurrence of an unnatural curve in the spine. Several people who begun sleeping on the ground said that their back pain has reduced and their overall health had improved. Some also reported that their joint pain is relieved.
- Your body can be perfectly aligned as you sleep in your natural posture. Without the use of any cushioning products, your body can adapt and distribute pressure evenly throughout the mattress. This way, back and neck pain is eliminated. Your blood circulation is also enhanced, and your muscles and tissues are supplied with enough blood. Yes, sleeping on the floor can be used to cope with back pain.
- If you are near to the ground, you can breathe cooler air and you’ll feel more comfortable and rested. The body temperature increase can lead to restlessness and interrupted sleep. Cool air will prevent you from sweating too much during the night. Cool air can also lead to optimal respiratory health and improve your blood circulation as well. If you are a hot sleeper, you can try our recommended cooling mattresses.
- It will promote a sense of change and excite you to do new things. This is a strong motivational change. It will even affect how you handle your career and even your whole life. You can research some blogs and firsthand experience articles from people who have tried sleeping on the floor. It certainly impacted their lives positively.
Disadvantages of sleeping on the floor
- The most obvious drawback of sleeping on the floor is the risk of exposure to dust and dirt that are built up on the ground. It is best to regularly clean your sleeping area to avoid hypersensitivity reactions and respiratory problems. This can be prevented by elevating your mattress slightly above the floor; however, it is still essential to constantly clean your floor as much as possible.
- When the air cannot circulate freely throughout the mattress, especially if the mattress is placed on the floor, too much heat and body moisture from sweat can be trapped in the mattress, thus triggering the formation of molds. Molds can lead to severe allergic reactions. It can also make your mattress smell bad, which later on can make it useless and worthy to be thrown away.
- The settling and multiplication of bed bugs is another gross problem that you could possibly encounter when you sleep on the floor. This issue can even worsen especially if they spread very fast inside the mattress. Thus, slightly elevating your bed above the floor can avoid this issue. Ensure that your beddings don’t touch the floor as well. Use encasements to protect the mattress if you’re not using it for a long period of time.
- If the outside temperature is too high (near freezing), the ground will be cold as well. So if you sleep on the floor, you could possibly develop some illnesses that are caused by cold temperature. Lying down on a too cold surface is harmful. Although it is comfortable to sleep on the floor during the warm season, doing the same during the cold season can cause serious health conditions. Inhaling too cold air is dangerous to your lungs and can impede blood circulation that can lead to hypothermia.
- Those who are side sleepers cannot adjust to this sleeping habit. The high pressure to the mattress on the floor can cause serious discomfort in the shoulders and hips, making you restless and uncomfortable. This way of sleeping is ideal for people who are used to sleep on their stomach or back.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, based on the pros and cons that we have tackled, it will take some time for a person to adjust to the habit of sleeping on a mattress on the floor. At first, it can give you some discomfort; however, those people who opted to do this sleeping habit have reported positive changes on their overall health and sleep quality. Thus, they chose this habit because it had improved their lives. Since you have the freedom to go back to your usual sleeping habit, it is always a good thing to try this way of sleeping so that you can also find out if this habit can benefit you in some ways.
