There’s A Better Alternative To Your Mattress

I haven’t slept on a conventional bed for 7+ years.

And I have no real desire or plans to go back.

I don’t miss the aches, pains, and stiffness I used to experience getting out of bed in the morning. I don’t miss tossing, turning, and never finding a comfortable position. I don’t miss snoring. (I’m sure my husband and family don’t miss that either!)

I love being able to fall asleep easily, and stay asleep. I love waking up rested and pain free. I love being able to wash my entire bed, and not worry about dust mites or bed bugs. I love that I can put my bed away and have a lot of my bedroom space back. I love that I don’t have to try and fold fitted sheets!

What if I told you you could have the same experience for under $100?

Too good to be true? Maybe. It is what I do, how I sleep every night. It just took a small willingness on my part to try something different. I had to accept that the conventional wasn’t working for me. And that it not working wasn’t some moral failing or weirdness on my part. I was tired of throwing good money at a bad solution.

The way my family got started on this path was simple enough. How do we make space? I had four kids in a three bedroom house. They were starting to out grow their bunk beds and there wouldn’t be any space left if we tried to put two full sized beds per room. My husband came up with a plan, and everyone said yes.

So we did what I am about to suggest to you. We had all the kids and ourselves try it out. We liked it well enough to commit. Fast forward to today, some of my kids went back to regular beds, their choice of course. But they do often say that they miss the other, and wish they could have both. In fact I find the ones that are still at home lying in mine frequently!

Curious as to what this all is? Desirous of a good nights sleep? For cheap? Done with spending $1000’s or more on a solution that only kinda works? Hate folding fitted sheets?

It’s called a hammock.

For those of you still reading, thank you! I understand how unusual this idea seems. It has worked so well for me, I wanted to share in the hopes it would help you as well.

It is incredibly easy to get started, with minimal investment, and if you don’t like it, you can still have one around for snoozing in the backyard. You are going to need just two things: a hammock stand, and a cotton Brazilian style double hammock. This one on Amazon has both things in one package. I think the hammock is a blend of cotton and polyester, but maybe not the worst when first trying it out.

Here is the hammock I use. I also have this stand.

My current arrangement does not use the hammock stand, it mounts into the walls of my bedroom:

Yes, my floor needs mopped, and I have some things to tidy. You get the real deal with me, folks!

As you can see there is a hammock for me and one for my husband, and a bed for my dog. He isn’t a big hammock fan.

Here is what it looks like when the hammocks are put away:

You can see our blankets and pillows folded on the floor. This is my real life, no filter.

So, just how does one sleep in a hammock?

It is very easy. If you look online, you will find a lot of illustrations and posts about how to sleep in a hammock. I have a short, four step tutorial for you, with pictures!

Step One

You will need to sit down on one long side edge of the hammock, making sure that the extra bulk of the hammock and the far side are not caught underneath you.

Step Two

Lie back, making sure the hammock is not bunched up underneath you. You will want to aim you head toward the far edge of the hammock and toward one end of the hammock.

Step Three

Now you will bring your legs up into the hammock with your feet pointing down and to the side edge you were on while sitting. See how the hammock is flattening out under Psyduck above? That is how you will know if you are angled enough.

Step Four

Fine tune your position for comfort and catch some zzz’s.

Levity aside, if you are serious about giving hammock sleeping a try, I have a few more tips and items you may want to consider.

• Pillows. This one is very personal. No one agrees on what type of pillow is best. Some people like no pillow at all. I like a pillow with cervical support, others like neck roll shaped pillows, others still prefer a tiny travel pillow. You will need to experiment a bit to find what works for you.
• Hammocks are cool on the underside, just like the cool side of a pillow. The air flow can be wonderful on a hot night. In the winter, at least for me, it can be a little too cold. I use what’s called an under-quilt, attached to the underside of my hammock, to trap the warm air beneath me. Here is an example.
• Blankets. I just lay them on top of me at night. Nothing special outside of choose ones appropriate for the temperature, and that feel good to you.
• Adjustment period. It takes a few nights to get acclimated to hammock sleeping. You can feel like you are going to fall out, but you are not likely to. If you goof around, of course you can fall out.
• Laundering. One of the beautiful things about a hammock, you can wash it. Most hammocks are hand wash or delicate. Follow the manufacturer instructions. Or if you are like me, you find your own way of doing it. I place my hammock in a mesh laundry bag, tie it up really well and wash it on delicate cycle in my machine. I then hang it outside to dry. I don’t use fabric softener. You really do need to have it in a bag to launder so the ‘strings’ don’t get tangled up around your washer or each other.
• Sleeping with your partner. My husband and I have separate hammocks. And while I do miss the ability to snuggle, or to put my freezing feet against him, we could not get to sleep. We simply kept bumping into each other too much. I get my snuggle fix in others ways, and we both get a great nights sleep, a win-win if you ask me.
• Intimacy. I have been asked this so many times. My answer has not changed. It’s none of your business, figure that one out for yourself.

If you give hammock sleeping a try and decide you would like to learn about how to make them a more permanent installation, like we did with wall mounting, let me know! I will have my amazing husband on for a guest post discussing exactly how he did ours. And if you haven’t, please consider subscribing. You never know what I might be posting next!