I Slept on the Floor for a Month and this is what I Learned

**NOTE: This does not replace the information provided to you by your doctor or healthcare professionals. This is just my experience and it will be different for each person. If you want to try sleeping on the floor consult your doctor**

YOU DID WHAT?

I first heard about floor sleeping in relation to minimalism and people finding their bed not necessary and getting rid of it. I thought they were crazy and dismissed it. Then i saw an episode of "Try Living with Lucie" where she slept on the floor for five days. Then one of the Youtubers i watch mentioned that she floor sleeps and i decided to watch the video she did on it. Then i watched her entire playlist. Within the playlist there was a video with her Chiropractor and they discussed floor sleeping, its benefits, and how to do it properly. He said not to sleep directly on the floor but to use a foam mattress topper as a layer between you and the floor and to have a tall pillow under your knees to elevate them and help align your back.

But i was still curious as to why? Why would you sleep on the floor? While it should have been common since i didn't realize until researching it that mattresses, especially the kind we use now, are a very modern thing. Excluding royals and all their money, most people would not have been able to afford a mattress and slept on the floor. A big part of Japanese culture is their floor sleeping and the mats they use. In the Bible when it talks about a person’s mat, that probably would have been their bed (not a theologian here guys, just guessing). I researched further into the health benefits of floor sleeping in a very helpful place: You Tube, and decided to try it out.

HOW I DID IT 

I used the foam topper that i got for school (its a 1 in topper from Walmart) covered by a fitted sheet as the mat. Then i had my top sheet and two thin blankets for layers if and when i got cold (yes, i know it’s summer. Yes, i used both of them.). I also had three pillows. 1) The pillow for my head, it’s one of those neck pillows that is a triangle shape (another recommendation by that Chiropractor) that i got for Christmas quite a few years back. 2) My boyfriend pillow. You know, the kind with the back and arms that turns the floor into a chair? Yeah, that. I used this pillow for under my legs when i slept on my back. 3) My body pillow. I have never slept on my back well and while they recommend sleeping on your back when floor sleeping it isn't required. So, on the days sleeping on my back just wasn’t going to cut it i

used the body pillow for support to sleep on my side. Everything i watched and/or read said it took a while to get used to and to not judge it by the first couple of days. So to give it plenty of time i decided to go for an entire month before making up my mind. I did sleep on the floor every night. The only time i didnt was there was one day i was sick and i layed in bed for like 5 hours in the middle of the day, unable to move...in my actual bed. But as for sleeping, this is what i learned… 

WHAT I LEARNED

1.    Don’t tell anyone you are doing this until you have decided for sure you will do this for a while. It isn't worth it.

2.    It is a hassle to move everything from the bed to the floor and back again everyday. I almost quit a few times just for this.

3.    My room has spiders (well not anymore, my dad sprayed for them).

4.    I looked at the clock a lot when i was up where i could see it. A lot.

5.    It takes a week and a half to two weeks to get used to sleeping on the floor.

6.    The floor is quite comfortable.

7.    I fall asleep faster when sleeping on the floor.

8.    Sleeping on the floor does not get me out of bed any faster in the mornings.

9.    The lamp i used to use at night is not reachable from the floor. So when i wanted to go to sleep i had to get up again and turn off the lamp. (I fixed this by using fairy lights that plug in near where i was sleeping)

10. My back feels better now, less pain.

            WILL I CONTINUE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR?

            Yes and no. I loved sleeping on the floor for the past month, and i want to continue. I honestly don't know if sleeping on a mattress will ever be quite as comfortable now. But WWU does not offer an option of removing a bed from the room. It has to stay in the room. This limits space I am not willing to give up in a dorm room. There could be options such as bunking the beds, using to top for storage and finding another spot in the room to sleep, but honestly, I don’t know if it’s worth that. I will be sleeping on the floor when I am at home and maybe one day (if i can talk my parents into it) removing the bed that is in there to give me more space.

Until next time,

Love God, Love Others, Love Disney,

~Lacey