Every living thing needs to sleep. And if you are talking about humans, in particular, sleeping is on a whole another level.
It is a necessity to sleep after a day of hard work. This gives you the energy throughout your body. Specially to your brain. Without a proper night’s sleep, you will end up grumpy throughout the day. There are even a lot of tips out there for better night sleeps and the best sleeping positions.
One of the things that dwell in our mind is that, is sleeping in a hammock better than sleeping in a bed? Surely enough, there are advantages and disadvantages of sleeping in both of them. If you are confused on which one to use as your nighttime resting equipment, you should go through our sleeping in a hammock vs bed article.
Sleeping in a Hammock vs Bed, Which One Is Best for You?
A hammock is definitely the most comfortable relaxing piece of furniture, and some might want to wipe it out with the bed. But there are things to consider before you do that. Although there is not enough research on this topic, we could go to a conclusion with a few facts if a bed is a better option for sleeping or a hammock.
Ways That the Hammock Is Better Than the Bed
Quick Sleeping Time
The hammock gives you a swinging motion that puts you to sleep almost instantly. You can achieve REM sleep quicker in a hammock than on a bed. And in the REM sleep stage, your brain still works. So it rests your body, but not so much that it goes into the deep sleep cycle.
Better Body Posture
Sleeping in a hammock has restrictions on your posture. You just lay flat on your back on one side. The surrounding of the hammock makes your body stay in a constant state. As you cannot move around and fall asleep in an awkward position, you won’t have anybody aches when you get up. The whole hammock takes the shape of your body and supports it accordingly.
No Stiffness in the Muscles
When you are sleeping on a hammock, your body gets supported with a slight touch. The hammock wraps around your body and allows it to be in a float-like state. On a mattress, you can’t sink in the mattress but lay on it. This causes stiffness in the muscles. Whereas on a hammock there is no chance of getting that.
Disadvantages of Sleeping in a Hammock
Sleeping Sides Are Restricted
The hammock is designed to contain rather than let the user be free with their body. The wrapping of the hammock restricts any movement from side to side or rolls around. You have to lay on your back or on one side. This causes people who move constantly in bed to have a bad sleep.
Bad for People with Spine or Neck Conditions
As the hammock takes the shape of your body and supports it accordingly, if you have spine or neck conditions, it’s a bad thing to be in. Laying on your body weight without proper support may worsen your conditions, hence sleep deprivation.
Deep Sleep Is Harder to Achieve
Although the hammock helps us to go into the REM sleep cycle faster than a bed, it cannot help achieve deep sleep cycles that easily. The constant rocking motion leaves your brain awake all the time and it thinks your body is in motion. So your brain keeps on working while your try to sleep.
Where the Bed Is Superior To the Hammock
Freedom of Positions
You cannot deny that a bed gives you the freedom to be in any position. No matter how you want to sleep, you can only be on a bed. The hammock can only give you two ways to sleep, either on your side or on your back. And that too without movement. This is a bad thing for people who moves frequently in bed in their sleep. So a bed is a better option for frequent position changes.
The comfort of Having Back Support
As there is back support, you don’t feel the sudden fall or swing motion in a bed. You lay there with ease and worry-free. The back support is also ideal for people with back or spine conditions. It gives them support from the mattress and does not rely on the body’s shape like the hammock.
Easy to Achieve Deep Sleep Cycle
You can achieve the REM sleep cycle in a hammock easily. This is due to the swinging motion of the hammock. Hence infants and children have their own rocking cradles. But for grown-up humans, the body cannot go to deep sleep unless the brain feels safe and sound. This means the rocking motion keeps the brain awake. So for deep sleep, there is no alternative than a bed.
Disadvantages of a Bed
No Swing Motion
The absence of swinging motion will keep you awake longer in bed. You won’t go into the light sleep cycle and have a long time going into a deep sleep sometimes. It especially affects people with insomnia. They are likely to fall asleep in a swinging motion rather than just laying in bed.
Bad Mattress Will Cause Body Ache
With time, your mattress will go old. And this means it is less bouncy and comfy. Eventually, it will lead to discomfort and body aches. While a hammock doesn’t have any of the mattress or padding, making it more ideal for sleeping.
Awkward Positions Can Lead to Injury
Although there is freedom of moving around in the bed while you sleep, getting into the wrong position will end you with muscle stiffness or worse, long-term injury. This is why you should always select a better position to sleep in. Even if you forget in your sleeping state, get out of the wrong posture once you are semi-awake.
Our Verdict
The hammock and the bed cannot replace one another. Each of them serves a different purpose. By now, you have understood the fact that the hammock is better for a light sleeping state and the bed is better for deep sleeping.
So if you are going to take a quick nap, the hammock is an ideal place to lay down. Even for relaxing, the hammock is better. But for a good night’s sleep, you cannot swipe the bed with the hammock. Keeping aside the hazards of waking up all of a sudden and falling off the hammock and more, we will go with the bed as the better option for sleeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to sleep in a hammock or a bed?
Although it depends from one person to another, a hammock is better for light sleep or relaxation and a bed is the best option for deep sleep and freedom of position. So it is better to sleep in a bed rather than a hammock.
Is it OK to sleep in a hammock every night?
No. Sleeping in a hammock every night will cause back problems. Even worse, spinal injuries. As the support is different than a bed, your body will lose its actual posture and your muscles won’t be able to rest properly.
Can you sleep in a hammock long-term?
No. If you sleep in a hammock for a long time, you will start having fewer deep sleep cycles. And your body posture will be harmed. As the hammock doesn’t give enough support for your muscles to relax, you might end up with a lot of problems.
Is a hammock comfortable to sleep in?
Yes. A hammock is comfortable to fall asleep quicker than a bed. As it has a swinging motion, it puts our body in a relaxing sensation which helps us achieve a light sleep state.
Conclusion
The debate will go on if the hammock is better than a bed. Or even the bed is superior to the hammock. Both of them serve very different purposes and all of them should be taken into consideration. While a hammock can relax you and give you a power nap, the bed will help you get the right amount of rest for the next day. That is why you should go for both of them for different relaxation.
If you are keen on a swinging sweeping motion, you can opt for a swing bed. Yes, they are a thing. But you will need a very strong ceiling for them. Or a whole structure to hang them from.
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