Benefits of Sleeping in a Hammock

Hammocks have been in existence for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Initially, hammocks were used by natives of South and Central America for sleeping, but were later adapted by sailors due to their small size and comfort. In the recent past, the initial use of hammocks as beds has been re-invented in North America and elsewhere as more and more individuals are trading in their beds for hammocks. This can be attributed to the numerous benefits that sleeping in hammocks has when compared to sleeping in a normal bed. To further illustrate these benefits, the following is an overview of some of the benefits associated with sleeping in a hammock

Faster Sleep
Sleeping in a hammock has a natural rhythm to it, which is usually brought about by the gentle swinging motion of the hammock. As such, individuals sleeping in hammocks tend to fall asleep much faster as compared to individuals sleeping on a normal bed.

Deeper Sleep
The use of a hammock as a bed has the capacity to bring about deeper sleep. When sleeping in a hammock, an individual not only falls asleep much faster, but is less susceptible to tossing and turning throughout the night. This ultimately results in a calm, relaxed deep sleep. Research has also shown that the gentle rocking of a hammock helps to improve circulation and to synchronize brain activity and through this, an individual gets better rest.


Comfort
Hammocks offer unrivaled comfort when compared to beds. When lying on a hammock, your body weight is evenly distributed, and as such, there are no discomforting pressure points along your body. For that reason hammocks are considered by many to be more comfortable than beds. As a rule, you should acquire a hammock of the correct size and set it up at the right hanging angle so as to experience maximum comfort.

No Bed Making
Making up a bed in the morning can be quite unsettling; more so when one has overslept and woken up late. Instead of shifting through a heap of sheets and covers as when making the bed, with the hammock, all you have to do when you wake up is to fold your blanket and put it at an appropriate place. For standalone hammocks, unhooking the hammock material and folding it up takes around 30 seconds.


Freedom from Bed Bugs and Dust Mites
You might not know this but a normal bed has approximately 6 million dust mites. Dust mites are minute creatures that feed on dead human skin shed off by the abrasive action of sheets on the human body. These skin cells normally accumulate on the mattress, and as such, explain the huge number of dust mites. By using a hammock, high hygiene standards are maintained since a simple shake or overturning of the hammock gets rid of dead human skin, discouraging the breeding of dust mites. Good air circulation and hygienic condition associated with hammocks also discourages the breeding of bedbugs.

Health Benefits
The use of hammocks as beds also has health benefits. For instance, hammocks aid in spinal decompression, since lying on a hammock does not subject the spinal discs to any stress. This can help alleviate back pain, stenosis and other afflictions of the spine.  It is not a cure for these problems, but it relieves the stress.

In view of the above stated factors, the use of hammocks as beds is highly recommended