About a week ago two Amazon packages arrived. Yes, I know I shouldn't order from Amazon, but here me out... I hate going to stores and being in public. So there.
One package contained a brand new metal frame and the second contained a beautiful and colorful Brazilian hammock. I excitedly put together the metal frame and connected each side of the hammock to the hooks and prepared to be comfortable. Now, before I sit in this brilliant invention, a little background on my hammock experience...
Growing up I spent a lot of time at my grandmas house, she had a little area in her yard surrounded by vegetation, a lot of climbing plants like blackberry bushes, grapes and ivy. It was so overgrown that it climbed over the fence and created a little plant cave and inside that plant cave was a hammock. It was my favorite place to hang out when I went to my grandmas. I would lay in there staring up at the plants for hours.
Back to a week ago: I laid in my new hammock and I was instantly in love. It's no plant cave, but non
the less. I was reunited with a long lost friend.
There is a secondary reason for getting my hammock. My youngest child is still breastfeeding and I am tired of being kicked in the face in the middle of night when she wakes up to pop back on the boob. So, rearranging the room and having my hammock on one end and the bed on the other, where I can't be kicked in the face... Unless the baby learns some crazy ass toddler karate and round house kicks me in the middle of the night, but that seems unlikely.
So, besides the obvious benefits stated above. I have noticed a lot of less obvious benefits to sleeping in a hammock:
Sleeping in a hammock is really fucking comfortable: When I got the hammock I expected it to be comfy, but it's really comfy. Like, I might not switch back to a bed. I might have to force my wife to start sleeping in mine with me when the baby is fully weened. That or get a divorce and find someone to live in hammock bliss with me.
I fall asleep faster: When I haven't had a garbage day, I have always been good at falling asleep pretty fast. I learned from a pretty young age how to meditate and it has helped me drift off to sleep pretty quick. Even with my sleep superpower, I fall asleep faster in the hammock.
My back feels sooooooooo much better: I don't think I have ever met a person who hasn't complained about their back issues. It has to be the most common adult issue. I haven't woken up to back pain in a week. A WEEK! In fact, today I laid down on my casper mattress (which is a fantastic mattress if you are looking for a high quality mattress for a great price) and instantly felt discomfort in my back.
I sleep through the night: Hammocks don't have pressure points, they form to your body and cradle you like a parent holding their infant child. While sleeping in a hammock you don't toss and turn all night. Your body falls into a comfortable spot and stays there. I fall asleep and wake up 5 hours later when the baby wakes up crying for no reason other than to make my wife and I slowly lose our sanity. So I just cover my head with a pillow and contemplate my life decisions. Speaking of pillows:
I stopped using my pillow while sleeping: When sleeping on a bed, I sleep on my side with a body pillow that partially supports my head as I hug it with my arms and legs. It's literally the only way I can fall asleep in a bed. When I sleep in the hammock I put the pillow on top of me for extra warmth and because it's soft and I like hugging it... Don't judge me.
Now, a quick fact that I read: Swaying helps your brain: It calms us, thats why babies fall asleep when they are being swayed in someones arms. Want sources? Sorry, I read it a while ago and can't find the article. I will continue to search and will update with page when I find it, but don't hold your breath.
Those are the 6 unexpected things I have learned sleeping in a hammock. I just wanted to not get kicked in the face. Now, I never want to sleep in a bed again. I would highly suggest getting a hammock and trying it for yourself. Yes, hammocks can be expensive, especially if you get a stand to go with it. But, significantly cheaper than a mattress, box spring and bed frame. I actually built my bed frame from pallets but that's another article for another day after I completely rebuild it so It doesn't look like something a 12 year old built because they where bored.
You can cut the cost in half by buying hooks and mounting your hammock to the wall instead, but please please please, make sure you mount it to a stud in the wall. You will be very unhappy if you try to get into a hammock that isn't properly mounted. Your butt and back will be sore and your wall will have to be repaired. Just a little warning, although, if you do choose to not follow that advice, can you please record yourself getting into the hammock and post your results on youtube. I can always use a good laugh!
Thanks for reading. I have provided some links below to the hammock and stand I have. I also linked to some wall mounts and, just in case you try this out and its not your thing, I have also linked to the mattress I have, it is quite comfy as well. If you are going to buy a hammock and want to support us, please use the links. We do get a small commission on sales that use our link. Please, make Jeff Bezos give me money! Thank you! Don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list if you like our content!
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