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When it comes to our sleeping patterns, chances are that nothing is set in stone. While some need firm pillows and a cozy mattress, some love sleeping on the floor for better health. But, did you ever think what happens if you sleep on the floor?
Don’t worry though, because the impacts of sleeping on the floor are beneficial, for the most part. It all comes down to your sleeping posture and the kind of climate that makes the difference.
Here, we are going to highlight some of the good and bad when it comes to the effects of sleeping on the floor.
What Happens if You Sleep On the Floor?
It is true that sleeping on the floor inflicts back pain if you do it out of the blue. But, that is just in the initial days, following which the impacts are a lot minimized and you start experiencing the benefits of sleeping on the floor.
All that said, it is important that you focus on knowing of the risks and the benefits together so you can actually make an informed decision for your health.
Benefits of Sleeping on the Floor
Before pointing out the risks, it is necessary that we highlight the amazing benefits that you experience with the same.
Let us take a look at some of the most important ones, shall we?
1. Reduces Back Pain
The very first and one of the most important health effects of sleeping on the floor is that it helps reduce the complaints about back pain.
While the same doesn’t come with a lot of conclusive studies (R), it is believed that the reason why the back pain is reduced is mainly because of the kind of alignment one experiences because of the posture.
The hard surface of the floor forces your body to always stay in a straight and aligned position, ensuring to help reduce the complaints of back pain that you have been having.
It is true that you are likely going to experience back pain in the initial days when you make a switch from the mattress to the floor but the same gets better over time.
2. Might Treat Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition which is characterized by the constant pain around the sciatic nerves which then radiates down the back and runs down the hips. The constant sciatic pain has negative impacts on one’s overall well being.
Much like the back pain, even sciatica is often worsened when you do sleep on firmer or even the extra soft mattresses. There aren’t any conclusive studies that justify why sleeping on the floor can help with the condition, but the results do bring forth necessary improvements.
Apart from that, it is also believed that sleeping on the floor helps improve the alignment of the back and spine, further helping improve the results and cure.
3. Might Improve Posture
You might not realize this but one of the telltale benefits of sleeping on the floor that has been found to have amazing impacts on the posture. Not only does it help improve the overall alignment of the body, but it has also been found to help with the overall posture of the body.
Since your body is against the hard floor, the same has been found to have beneficial impacts in helping improve the back pain and the constant discomfort that you might be experiencing.
Sleeping on the floor for back pain is one of the primary reasons why it has beneficial impacts in helping out with the posture as well.
Also, Read: What Happens When You Sleep Next to Someone
4. Aligns the Hips and Shoulders
If you have issues with the alignment of your hips and shoulders, one of the most common and effective impacts it has is in helping align the hips and shoulders.
It is quite important that you do focus on starting by sleeping on the floor gradually and then consistently doing so. That is what makes all the difference and can impact your overall results.
The issues of pain complaints and discomfort that you struggle with is often caused because of the misalignment of the spine, which later results in causing the constant discomfort with the hips and the shoulders.
If you consistently take it lightly, chances are that the same will cause chronic pain that often does become unbearable over the course of time.
5. Better Rest and Relaxing
Not many realize this but oftentimes, sleeping on the floor has been found to have better impacts in helping you wake up fresh and rejuvenated. If you are wondering what happens if you sleep on the floor, chances are that you are going to feel more energised when you wake up.
The reason why this is believed is because of all the weird reasons. For the most part, since we feel a lot more comfortable on the mattress, it is likely that we are going to sleep more and hit the snooze button, resulting in making us wake up groggy.
On the other hand, since sleeping on the floor isn’t necessarily the most comfortable experience, the same has been found to have direct impacts on you waking up with the alarm, making you feel fresher and energised to take on the day.
6. Might Help with Insomnia
While there aren’t any specific studies that clarify the claims of relations between insomnia and the effects of sleeping on the floor, it is believed that it can actually come in handy.
For those who have been experiencing issues with the mattress and complaining about the impacts, it is having on the body, switching to sleeping on the floor can actually come in handy for the overall well being.
Next Read Up: What Happens If You Sleep for 6 Hours a Day
7. Promotes Better Spine Health
Our spine plays a very crucial role in not just helping improve the posture but also helps in getting rid of the issues associated with the constant pain and the discomfort that you might be feeling.
One of the most common health effects of sleeping on the floor that has been found effective is the fact that it promotes better spine health.
Since your spine is aligned straight when sleeping on the floor, the same imposes beneficial impacts with any kind of issues that you might have with your spine consistently.
But, also make sure that you do consult a doctor first whether sleeping on the floor is ideal for you if you struggle with serious spine problems.
8. Can Control Body Temperature
One of the most common issues with labored sleeping cycles that many encounters is the fact that their body tends to overheat because of the thick mattress.
Overheating of the body is one of the most common issues when it comes to the affected sleeping cycles. It is best suggested that you do focus on sleeping on the ground instead for better recovery in no time at all.
Always make sure that you do focus on adhering to the sleeping patterns that you know would help out with your problems and not worsen them.
Also, Read: Stretches To Do Before Bed for Peaceful Sleep
How to Sleep on the Floor Properly?
If you are planning on witnessing what happens if you sleep on the floor, we would suggest that you do have a set plan that you execute before managing the sleeping pattern through and through.
This is what makes all the difference.
Some of the important insights on this include:
Prepare for The Deed
The very first and possibly the most important part of the task are to be prepared. You want to ensure that you prepare accordingly and get the necessary items that are needed for the same. From the blankets to the fleece top and bottoms that are necessary for the sleeping, you need to be prepared with all the possible essentials for a comfortable sleep at night.
Focus on The Floor
While sleeping on the floor can mean that you directly sleep on the floor but it is not necessarily the ideal option always. Make sure that you do focus on getting at least some form of minimal padding, especially if you stay somewhere where it is too cold to act on. Apart from the thicker blankets, you can use foam mattress toppers and even the floor sleeping mats for this for a comfortable sleep unlike anything else.
Focus on the Sleeping Position
It is likely that you will toss and turn and not sleep in a steady position but it is also likely that you might. Whatever the same be, it is very important that you have a static sleeping position that you feel the most comfortable sleeping on. It doesn’t really matter whether you are sleeping on your side, back or even on your stomach. Just ensure that you are comfortable whichever way you are sleeping.
Possible Disadvantages of Sleeping on the Floor
If you have been consistently experiencing issues sleeping on the floor, chances are that your body isn’t meant for that.
When we are clarifying what happens if you sleep on the floor, it is likely that you are also going to experience downsides to it along with the benefits. Whatever the situation be, it is necessary that you do focus on finding better ways to combat the issues and take immediate steps to mitigate the discomfort.
Some of the common disadvantages of sleeping on the floor include:
1. Constant pain
If you are not used to sleeping on the floor, chances are that you will experience consistent back pain the first few days. The body takes some time to adjust to the sudden changes which is what paves way for the pain that you experience.
But, once your body gets accustomed to sleeping on the floor, chances are that you won’t struggle just as much as you did initially. But, the pain in the back, shoulders and even hips can be counted as a possible disadvantage of sleeping on the floor.
2. Feeling cold
If you are from somewhere where it’s cold, sleeping on the floor can make you feel extremely cold and chilly. This is the reason why it is important that you either have items to stop the cold or have a thicker fleece garment worn because that is what makes all the difference around.
3. Might Cause Infection
Even when we mop the floor with a disinfectant, there are chances that the floor will have microbes on it. If you have sensitive skin, chances are that the same will end up affecting your skin for the worse, causing risks associated with the infection that many often tend to complain about.
This is the reason why it is best that you always keep your floors sanitized to prevent this risk from actually taking shape.
If you have been wondering what happens if you sleep on the floor, it is important that you know that the same impacts both positive as well as negative impacts on the body. This is the reason why it is important that you keep an eye out on the same and see what suits your body the best. Keep a balanced look on both the benefits and the disadvantages for making an informed decision for yourself.
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