Sleep On The Floor!

I sleep on the floor. And by "floor" I don't mean a mat, a sleeping bag, or whatnot. I'm talking about a bare wooden floor. And, let me tell you, I really don't understand why I didn't think of it sooner. I've slept in beds almost all my life, so I guess I got so much used to the idea of sleeping on a soft elevated surface that I never bothered to question it. Some time ago, my bed broke and I didn't want to invest in a new one, so I started sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I didn't feel any difference, sleeping half a meter lower than usual (nor did I think I would - what is that half meter of elevation for, anyway?). From then on, I was conscious of beds being useless, but I still didn't dare to question the importance of a comfortably soft sleeping surface. But then, one beautiful day, I had my epiphany. And I decided then and there that needing something as modern (and as disgustingly decadent, too) as a mattress for something as primitive as sleep, was shameful.

My objective was to gradually train myself to be able to sleep wherever sleep was possible. I got rid of the mattress and started sleeping on a comforter on the floor, with a pillow, to make the transition. The first night was tough. I was feeling very uncomfortable and couldn't sleep at all. But then, by the next evening, I was so tired that I fell asleep almost instantly and had no trouble staying asleep until late morning. I woke up feeling great, especially in my spine, where I was feeling a relaxation and de-compression like never before. I didn't have any trouble sleeping on the following nights (I was, actually, sleeping better than before) so I decided to remove the comforter and the pillow. Perhaps a little surprisingly, there was no problem at all. The floor was cold, but I just put on another layer of clothing and it was fine. And I had prepared myself for the removal of the pillow by trying out different pillowless positions during the day on the previous days, so by then I knew which were the most comfortable. I've been sleeping stuff-free most comfortably ever since.



Sleeping this way has numerous advantages:

First of all, is there anything easier to find than a solid horizontal surface? Your sleeping location options get practically limitless. In other words, you can sleep almost anywhere. That is one major step towards true freedom. And you get to feel proud of it, too (and perhaps brag about it to like-minded individuals).

You can own less stuff. No need to own a bed, a mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. No need to own even a mat, a sleeping bag, a hammock or anything else. Less stuff equals more time, more space, more money and much more freedom. Moving house becomes easier or cheaper once there is no need to transport one of the most cumbersome pieces of furniture of the typical western household (and you might just decide to move once you see that your, now bedless, living space is too large for your needs and you could live just as well in a smaller and cheaper space). Even if you're an adventurer wandering through the wild and carrying all your possessions on your person, your pack will be much lighter without a bedroll. You don't have to buy anything. You don't have to wash sheets, blankets, pillow-cases, etc. and you don't need a place to store them, either. You don't have to make the bed in the morning. Summer nights will be less hot on the cool floor. Also, you will have less dust.

And maybe most important of all: sleeping on hard surfaces is good for the back (the spine, more precisely) as tons of anecdotal evidence (mine included) suggest. I've read about people who cure their back pains by sleeping on the floor for some time. I just don't understand why don't they keep sleeping on the floor since they swear it helps them.

The one drawback is that stupid, narrow-minded people, if they come to know of your habit, will consider you as being weird and perhaps a little crazy and will consequently tend to socialize less with you. Not much of a drawback, is it?