One of the most important needs of the body is sleep. And it depends on the quality of sleep whether we wake up in the morning fresh and rested, or broken and lethargic. During proper sleep, the body restores strength, which gives us the opportunity to remain alert throughout the day. It happens that sleep does not bring us complete rest. What is the reason? Perhaps this is due to an incorrectly selected sleeping place. Is it good to sleep on the floor? But more on that later.
Throughout life, the human spine is subject to heavy loads. If you sleep on a bed that is too soft or uncomfortable, you can provoke curvature of the spine, the development of osteochondrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is popularly believed that sleeping on the floor is good for the spine and the body as a whole. Just lay a sheet on the floor and voila! The bed is ready! And no mattresses are needed. But is this really so? Is it possible for everyone to sleep on the floor, and who is strictly forbidden to do this? Are there alternatives to sleeping on a hard surface? We will look at the answers to these questions in our article today.
Features of the human spine
First, let's look at the features of the human spine:
- As you know, the spine is the basis of the human musculoskeletal system. And this basis is by no means a straight line, as is commonly mistakenly believed. Our spine in its shape resembles the Latin letter S, i.e. it is curved, not straight. Ideally, the sleeping place should adapt to this bend.
- If we sleep with the correct body position, our spine does not bend during sleep. This is very important for health. It's no secret that a healthy spine is the key to correct posture. Beautiful posture = healthy back.
- Curvature of the spine can easily be “earned” if you sleep on a very soft or excessively hard surface. Such a dream can cause osteochondrosis, and, as a result, pain in the back and neck.
- If you replace an excessively soft sleeping surface with a slightly harder one, you will notice how the pain in the spine will decrease, your sleep will become deeper, and after waking up you will feel a surge of energy.
Research
What happens if you replace the bed with the floor? Over the years, people have experimented with changing soft feather beds to hard boards. People also get rid of pillows in order to experience all the “delights” of sleeping on the floor. Upon completion of such studies, people claim that the quality of their sleep has improved, and problems with the musculoskeletal system fade into the background, or even disappear completely in a short time. But do not rush to completely trust such experiments and throw away the bed.
A couple of years ago, scientists conducted studies in various countries where people, due to economic and cultural characteristics, are forced to sit on the floor; the results showed that these people have much fewer problems with the musculoskeletal system, spine and posture. But in fact, you should not completely blindly trust such studies.
Sleeping on the floor, but still with a mattress
A healthy state of the musculoskeletal system may indicate regular exercise and good physical fitness. It is worth noting that usually people do not just sleep on the bare floor, but lay them on soft surfaces so as not to harm their ligaments, joints and muscles. As you know, in Japan it is customary to sleep on the floor. But not naked, as many people mistakenly believe. The fact is that the Japanese sleep on special, especially thin mattresses - futotami. The height of such a mattress is about 10 cm. Sleeping on a futotami helps to avoid problems with joints and not harm the spine. By the way, you can buy such a mattress in Russia.
In Japan, it is customary to sleep on the floor, on special, especially thin mattresses - futotami
Personal experiment of sleeping on the floor without a mattress
Our compatriot, the famous blogger and tester Vladislav Petrenko, also decided to conduct an experiment with “sex life”. For a month, the man slept on a wooden floor. “My bed is the whole floor”; - said Vladislav. So, Vlad slept on the floor without a pillow, with only a sheet under him. At first, when falling asleep, he experienced discomfort - being in an uncomfortable position, he felt pressure on his joints, which is why he tossed and turned for a long time and could not fall asleep. But soon the blogger came to the technique of relaxing his body, learned to relax his muscles, and falling asleep came much faster. The result didn’t take long to arrive - Vladislav’s back pain went away, he began to wake up cheerful and energetic, and noticed improvements in his posture, which also couldn’t help but please. In general, there are advantages.
Talking about his experience, the blogger did not recommend blindly following his example, but suggested just trying. Vlad’s subscribers liked this idea of sleeping on a hard surface, and many other bloggers adopted this practice. However, not everyone will benefit from giving up their usual bed. Sleeping on the floor, with all its advantages, is quite extreme, and therefore necessarily requires prior consultation with a doctor.
Check with your doctor before sleeping on the floor
So don’t rush to repeat the blogger’s “feat” - after all, you need to take into account that the young man maintains his health through regular exercise and has no concomitant diseases. Having strong muscles, sleeping on a hard surface is much easier and safer than for an unprepared body. Vladislav Petrenko's story about his own experience of sleeping on the floor was truly inspiring and motivating. But before you follow his example, ask yourself: are you ready to entrust your precious health to a blogger who equally convincingly discusses how to sleep properly, how to seduce a girl and how to quickly earn a lot of money without special skills. After all, what suits one person can be extremely harmful to you!
The path to success through push-ups and pull-ups
Vlad launched his You Tube channel in 2022, and the very first video turned out to be very successful. The story about how to do 15,650 push-ups from scratch in 30 days has been watched by more than 7 million people to date. His second challenge – 6,500 pull-ups in 30 days – also attracted an impressive audience. The guy challenged himself more and more, and millions of users watched with interest. Over time, he acquired a second channel, and the topics of the videos began to go beyond sports and physical education. Now Petrenko not only demonstrates the wonders of endurance, but also gives advice in the field of business, personal growth, psychology and family life.
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The young man monetizes his popularity through marathons, with the help of which subscribers can work on themselves and master new skills. For example, doing the splits or unwinding your channel. One of these Petrenko marathons was dedicated to correct posture. Having immersed himself in the topic, the blogger learned that the quality of sleep has a huge impact on back health. This discovery inspired Vlad to undertake an interesting experiment: sleeping on the floor for 30 days.
Will there be any results if you do 200 push-ups every day? Honest workout challenge
How to sleep on the floor correctly?
Before you move from the bed to the floor, you need to prepare your sleeping area. It is necessary to understand that sleeping on the floor does not mean the complete absence of any bed. Sleeping on a completely hard surface is uncomfortable and harmful. In this position, the body muscles cannot relax, and the blood vessels will be pinched, impairing blood circulation. And it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to sleep normally on a bare floor. Therefore, you need to prepare the bed.
Sleep better on a thick mattress
It is best to choose a dense mattress for sleeping, into which the body will not sink. Excessive softness can harm the body more than a hard surface. Instead of a mattress, you can lay a rug, a blanket, or a thick blanket. A special mat for fitness or yoga is a good idea. Be sure to lay a sheet on top of the resulting bed.
How to choose a mattress
Many people wonder: should you sleep with or without a pillow? It is best to place a small flat pillow or cushion under your head. You can make a roller yourself by rolling it out of a blanket or blanket. The main thing is that the surface is soft, not prickly. It is not recommended to use a pillow that is too high, as the neck will be raised too much. Sleeping without a pillow is no less harmful, because in this position the neck muscles will not have proper support and will begin to ache. You can cover yourself with a regular blanket, or if it’s hot, with a blanket or sheet.
Rules for comfortable sleep
First of all, for a comfortable sleep you need to choose the right place. It is recommended to place the bed away from windows, heating radiators, electrical appliances, and radiators. It is strictly forbidden to sleep on a cold floor, because this can lead to hypothermia, which can lead to illness. You should not sleep on a concrete floor without warm flooring. Care must be taken to ensure that the bed is warm enough. There should be no drafts in the room during sleep - the risk of catching a cold is too high. If there is a door or window nearby, it is better to close them.
Don't forget about cleanliness and fresh air
If you sleep on the floor, then only on a clean one. Before going to bed, be sure to wash the floor. It is advisable to do this daily, because during the day dust accumulates in the room, which you will then have to breathe all night. It is especially pleasant to sleep on a freshly washed floor in the summer, on a hot night.
In the evening, the room should be well ventilated. It is advisable to choose a place where there is enough free space to freely spread your arms and legs. So that you can move away from the furniture, because comfort during sleep is of enormous importance. You also need to warn family members about your desire to sleep on the floor so that no one accidentally steps on the sleeping person or trips over him.
Don't trust first impressions
At first, sleeping on the floor may seem terribly uncomfortable and cause a lot of discomfort. But no need to be upset! Within a week, the discomfort will decrease, your back will bother you much less, and your vacation will become complete and enjoyable. As a rule, in the first days it will be very uncomfortable to sleep on your side - the pelvic bones, resting against a hard surface, will cause inconvenience. Based on this, it is better to lie on your back. Perhaps such a dream will appeal to pregnant women who find it difficult to sleep on a soft bed, but in such a situation one should not neglect the recommendations of the attending physician and one’s own comfort in order to eliminate all kinds of stress that can negatively affect the child. And even more so, avoid even light drafts and take care of your health.
Sleeping on the floor takes some getting used to
Over time, the body will adapt to sleeping on the floor and you will automatically take the most comfortable position for your body. It is comfortable to lie on your back with your knees bent. In this position, the pelvis relaxes and the body weight is distributed evenly. If you want to try sleeping on the floor, but it is difficult to overcome the discomfort, you can purchase a hard orthopedic mattress and sleep on it for a while. Gradually, the body will get used to resting on a hard surface, and moving to the floor will not cause much inconvenience.
Sleeping on the floor: doctors' opinions
One of the most common reasons why experts recommend sleeping on hard surfaces is to relieve back pain. Sleeping on the floor can maintain a neutral spinal position, which can really help reduce pain and strengthen the spinal column. But this extreme type of sleep is recommended only for people with musculoskeletal diseases.
Doctors have not reached a common denominator on the issue of sleeping on the floor
On the issue of sleeping on the floor, doctors have not come to a common denominator. And there are reasons for this. So, depending on the case, doctors may prescribe sleeping on planks or an ultra-hard mattress. But this is rather a rare exception, concerning people who need recovery after any injuries, operations, or accidents. That is, when it comes to individual medical prescriptions.
Modular furniture: pre-a-porter in the interior.
Too soft is also bad
But in the simple life of a person who does not have specific health restrictions, doctors still do not recommend sleeping on a surface that is too soft or very hard. It is much more advisable to choose an intermediate option. Doctors recommend using orthopedic mattresses, since the choice is so wide that you can choose one to suit every taste and budget. Also, according to doctors, you should definitely place a low pillow or cushion under your head to relieve tension from the neck. Compliance with these simple rules helps prevent diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Well, a soft blanket is warm and just pleasant.
Upholstered furniture is a place where people rest on their laurels.
Which pillow to use for cervical osteochondrosis?
Headaches and dizziness that occur in the morning are the main sign of poor circulation, and the pillow plays an important role here. There is an opinion that if you have osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, you should abandon the pillow altogether, but vertebrologists do not recommend doing this. Anatomically, our head is comfortable being above the level of the spine. Otherwise, the muscles will be tense all night, and the neck will take an incorrect “hanging” position.
The pillow must be present during sleep, meeting the following characteristics:
- Form. During rest, it must certainly be square or rectangular. Elongated or horseshoe-shaped bolster pillows are good only for short-term daytime rest.
- Height. According to medical indicators - 9-14 cm. It is this height that guarantees the correct position of the body: the shoulders are slightly raised, the neck is slightly higher than the level of the head.
- Size. It remains individual, but is selected based on the width of the sleeper’s shoulders. The main thing is that the width of the pillow is no less.
- Rigidity. It should be moderate. Here you should pay attention to your own physical sensations. If osteochondrosis worsens, you need to consult a specialist.
- Elasticity. Make sure your head doesn't sink. In this position, the cervical vertebrae are tense and unable to completely relax.
To sleep on the floor or not: all the pros and cons
So, summing up the above, we can highlight the most important pros and cons of sleeping on the floor.
Benefits of sleeping on the floor
The benefits of sleeping on the floor are:
- If you sleep on the floor, the body takes the most comfortable position for it, since sleeping on a hard surface in an uncomfortable position is simply unrealistic. This results in improved sleep quality, easier awakening and improved overall well-being.
- Metabolism accelerates.
- Blood circulation improves. Thanks to this, toxins and waste are removed from the body.
- Dust and bacteria can accumulate in a mattress, bed or sofa. To prevent germs from multiplying, you have to resort to thorough cleaning of the sleeping area. With the floor here, everything is much simpler - wash it, and voila! The sleeping area sparkles with cleanliness.
- It's not hot to sleep in summer. And if it’s cool in winter, you can simply move towards the battery.
- The back will be in a neutral position.
- Severe back pain in the presence of certain orthopedic diseases will decrease.
- Savings - no need to spend a large amount on buying a bed or sofa. This will free up free space in the bedroom.
Cons of sleeping on the floor
There are a number of disadvantages of sleeping on the floor:
- Pain in muscles and soft tissues due to sleeping in an uncomfortable position.
- It is difficult to sleep in any position other than on your back.
- If you sleep on the floor, overcoming discomfort, there is a risk of spinal diseases.
- If you sleep on the floor, not on your back, the muscles do not relax, as a result, the blood vessels are pinched, which can lead to poor circulation.
- Due to the state of their body, not everyone can sleep on a hard surface. This may be hazardous to your health.
- Even if your joints have never bothered you before, they may start to hurt from not sleeping on the floor properly.
Thus, we can conclude that sleeping on the floor is not suitable for everyone. Despite its advantages, it has a number of significant disadvantages.
Diet and daily routine
One of the most important aspects of caring for an elderly person suffering from dementia is organizing a clear and established daily routine. The patient should not be allowed to sleep too long in the morning. An alarm clock will help you get up at the same time. The specific time of waking up also determines what time the patient goes to bed in the evening. If he wakes up at 6-7 am, he will need to go to bed no later than 10 pm. The night will pass peacefully, and relatives will have the opportunity to sleep. You also need to go for a walk at the same time.
Despite the unstable mental state, the patient does not need to be isolated from society. Communication with others, especially at an early stage, will help delay and slightly delay the development of the disease. If possible, you can ensure that you attend hobby groups or clubs. Mental stress can prevent the rapid death of cells.
Caring for a person with dementia at home involves changing their diet. You will have to exclude fried, spicy, smoked foods from your diet, focusing on boiled or steamed foods. Fruits, nuts, fish and seafood are excellent natural antioxidants; they are extremely useful for all brain diseases and nervous disorders.
So what to do? What to sleep on?
So what is the ideal sleeping place? To ensure that your sleep brings complete rest, it is better to take care of choosing the ideal mattress. Currently, the choice of mattresses is so large that you can choose your own option to suit every taste and budget, based on your preferences and health status. There are special orthopedic mattresses made from various materials that help the spine maintain the desired curve and relieve stress from the joints. Only in this case will the spine be able to get rid of the static load and receive long-awaited relaxation.
How to choose a bed
Orthopedic mattress
This is roughly the design of a good orthopedic mattress. It can be on a spring block, or be completely springless. A high layer of elastic filler and independent springs, which act as the basis of the entire structure. In springless models, instead of a block of springs, there is a so-called plate made of artificial or natural latex and other high-quality materials, both synthetic and natural.
The design of a good orthopedic mattress
Orthopedic mattresses with a base made of coconut trees are especially popular. The mattress does not have to be too hard. There are several levels of hardness of orthopedic mattresses - from low and medium to very high. In addition, this mattress is adapted to different weight categories, its design is thought out to the smallest detail. Therefore, no floor can replace a truly high-quality mattress.
Caring for a bedridden patient with dementia
Senile dementia does not act selectively: it can overtake anyone, including a bedridden patient. In this case, it is even more difficult for relatives. In addition to the heavy physical exertion associated with caring for a bedridden patient, psychological problems arise. Being immobile, patients cease to control the natural processes of the body. Trips to the toilet become more frequent, and many manage to take off their diapers and smear waste products on the walls, beds, and get dirty themselves. If dementia reaches this level, home care becomes real torture for relatives. You need to be nearby around the clock and stop any attempts to remove the diaper.
Relatives are also required to carry out a number of mandatory measures: carrying out sanitary and hygienic procedures, preventing bedsores, administering medications, feeding from a spoon or through a tube (in case of impaired swallowing reflex). In this case, it is better to go to a boarding house for bedridden patients with dementia, where all the necessary care measures are performed daily and a general practitioner monitors the dynamics of the health status on a weekly basis.
