Talking about sleeping on the floor seems uncommon in our society, but there are some cultures that apply this custom, and in this article we will talk about the most prominent benefits of sleeping on the floor and the potential harms of this act.

Benefits of sleeping on the floor

There are no scientific studies confirming the importance of this action for the health of the body, but there is evidence based on personal experiences that suggest some benefits from this action, including:

1. Reducing back pain

Sleeping in this position can help improve spinal alignment, because sleeping on a soft mattress may cause curvature of the spine and the occurrence of back pain, and the Journal of Sleep Health explained in an article published in 2015 that the best sleep mattresses are of medium firmness, which contributes to deep sleep. Improving spinal alignment and thus reducing back pain.

2. Improve body posture

Sleeping in this position helps to take the correct position of the head, back and neck to straighten the spine, and a specialist doctor should be consulted before sleeping in this position if the person suffers from a side tilt in the spine or an arched back.

3. Sleeping on cold tiles

Some find it difficult to sleep when the temperature rises, so sleeping on the floor may help to overcome the air temperature and facilitate sleep.

Sleeping on the floor for pregnant women

There is no danger in sleeping in this position for the pregnant woman, but if you feel difficulty getting up from the ground, you must avoid sleeping in this position, and after birth, the mother can put a strong mattress on the floor to sleep next to the infant, because sleeping next to him on the bed may cause In many problems such as suffocation, falling off the bed and sudden infant death syndrome that may occur due to sharing a bed with an infant.

Disadvantages of sleeping on the floor

There are a number of health disadvantages of sleeping in this position, including the following:

1. Increased back pain

There is a wide controversy between supporters and opponents of sleeping in this position, because some see the effectiveness of sleeping in this position to relieve back pain, and others see that it increases back pain, and in a study published by The Lancet Medical Journal in 2003, researchers confirmed that sleeping on a solid mattress increased pain. The back is compared to sleeping on a medium firm mattress.

2. Allergy

Sleeping in this position can cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, itching, stuffy or runny nose, coughing, difficulty breathing, rashes, eye redness and tears, so care must be taken to clean the floor well before sleeping and to use a mattress higher than the floor to avoid infestation of bed bugs, and be careful to Air the mattress regularly.

3. Increased exposure to cold weather

Some prefer to sleep in this position to overcome the heat during the summer, but during the winter this position reduces body temperature, which increases the feeling of coldness in the body than usual, and the feeling of cold increases for people who suffer from diabetes and anemia when sleeping in this position.

4. Reducing blood flow in the body

Sleeping on a hard surface such as the ground reduces blood flow in the body, due to heavy pressure on some areas such as the buttocks, shoulders and bottoms of the feet.

Tips when sleeping on the floor

There are some tips that can be followed when trying to sleep on the floor, including:

• Make sure the floor is clean before bed.
• Lay a blanket, floor rug, or mattress on the floor.
• Placing a thin pillow to support the head.
• Start trying this position for short periods, and then increase the period if the body is comfortable with sleeping in this position.
• Put a pillow between the knees in case of sleeping on the sides.

After identifying the benefits and potential harms of sleeping on the floor, you can try this position during a nap and repeat the experiment if you feel comfortable while sleeping in this position.