It is customary for humans to sleep lying down, for they require a pleasant environment to sleep effectively.
In general, this refers to how gravity impacts our bodies. If you sleep while standing or sitting erect, your muscles will have to work harder to keep your posture. This sleeping position may make it difficult to sleep.
Additionally, lying down is required to achieve REM sleep, an important stage of sleep in which memories are consolidated. Your muscles also do not move during REM sleep. Lying down allows you to accomplish this stage without engaging your muscles.
Most individuals sleep by lying down on a mattress. But other people like to sleep on a hammock chair for added comfort. In several regions of the world, hammock sleeping is quite prevalent.
If you have an uncomfortable mattress, you may consider sleeping in a hammock. Fans of the practice claim it provides health benefits, but there is little study on the topic discussed below.
Let’s Understand The Vestibular System
The vestibular system, which provides the sensation of balance, is responsible for hammocks’ ability to help soothe your nerves and improve your health.
Your vestibular system is a complex network of brain pathways and structures that influence your sense of equilibrium, balance, and proprioception, or your body’s ability to detect movement, position, and activity. The vestibular system influences your sense of orientation and helps a person coordinate their motions. Furthermore, the vestibular system is responsible for the adrenaline rush (or queasy feeling) that humans experience when riding a roller coaster. This suggests that it also has an impact on our mental wellness.
As it turns out, swinging in a quality chair hammock activates the vestibular system. Studies have shown that gently rocking or swaying in a hammock chair can help us fall asleep faster and sleep deeper than a normal bed. This rocking motion can assist in prolonging stage N2 sleep, characterized by a high rate of rapid eye movement.
Consider how you can get a baby to sleep or quiet down. You rock them gently. Consider a hammock to be a more sophisticated version of the original. They soothe and quiet our minds with a pleasant movement.
Advantages of sleeping in a hammock chair
To date, experts have not conducted comprehensive research into the benefits of hammock sleeping, with the majority of research including on newborns. Furthermore, many of the claimed advantages for adults are anecdotal.
However, there is some evidence that relaxing in a hammock chair may offer various benefits:
1. Deeper sleep
The rocking motion of a hammock may promote deeper slumber. This hypothesis was investigated in a small 2011 study in which 12 males had two 45-minute afternoon naps on different days. They had one snooze on a stable bed and one on a swinging bed.
The researchers studied the subjects’ brain activity while they slept using polysomnography and EEG. They discovered that napping in a swinging bed accelerates the transition from wakefulness to sleep. It also extends stage 2 sleep, when your body is in a light state and prepared to enter deep sleep.
This could be due to the way gentle swinging affects the brain. According to the researchers, the motion may facilitate internal sleep patterns, allowing for deeper sleep. The rocking may also help relaxation by generating a peaceful sensation.
2. Pressure point relief
Overall, lying on a mattress puts extra pressure on your:
- Shoulders
- Back
- Buttocks
It is commonly understood that a decent mattress will relieve pressure on these places, often known as pressure points.
On the other side, a poorly built or aged mattress might cause these pressure points.
It is also believed that sleeping in a hammock chair may ease the strain on certain places. The concept is that the surface is more flexible, resulting in equal pressure on all parts of your body. It also adjusts to your natural curves.
3. Improves blood circulation
When you utilize a hammock chair for relaxation purposes, your upper body is somewhat raised, promoting blood circulation to your brain. You also put less pressure on your joints, which increases general circulation.
Better circulation can assist in lowering blood pressure, eliminating toxins from the body, and relieving congestion, among other things.
4. Reduced physical stress equals improved mental state
When your body aches, it also impacts your mental state. There is a clear correlation between your physical health and your mental well-being. Chronic stress, for example, depletes the body and can cause headaches, stomachaches, and other symptoms.
Relaxing in a hammock will reduce physical stress and improve mental mood.
5. Protects against parasitic diseases and dust mites
In places where parasites are a major worry, hammocks or chairs can help protect humans by keeping them out of reach. Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is spread by a specific species of blood-sucking bug.
In the Yucatán Peninsula, sleeping in hammocks makes people less vulnerable to bugs.
Hammocks can also help to minimize dust mites, which feed on dead skin cells. Mattresses are frequently infested with dust mites, which can cause a variety of health difficulties.
6. May improve heart rate
When you relax, your heart rate slows. Relaxation practices, such as gently swinging on a hammock, can help you decompress and unwind. It is beneficial to your heart, especially if you experience persistent stress and worry.
Are there any advantages to sleeping in a hammock full-time?
The research on hammock sleeping is limited. However, it wouldn’t be fair to acknowledge the stated advantages of relaxing in a hammock.
Followers of the practice say it can:
- Promote deeper sleep
- Shorten sleep onset
- Reduce insomnia
- Alleviate back pain.
Hanging out and swinging in a hammock chair
It’s been a long day at work, and you’re anxious, and your muscles are tight from thinking about the long list of tasks you need to complete. You might experience anxiety, burnout, or depression.
It’s time to try a stress-management approach.
Some people do yoga, exercise, meditation, and deep breathing. Others listen to music or take long baths. Nonetheless, we occasionally forget to relax and devote time to self-care.
Swinging in a hammock chair is a simple technique of self-care. The soothing back-and-forth motion generates a relaxing sensation, which aids in anxiety relief. The swinging motion strengthens endogenous sleep patterns, resulting in a relaxed or sleepy feeling.
In the end!
Some individuals sleep in hammocks due to necessity or pleasure. According to reports, this can help you sleep deeper and ease pressure spots. However, there is insufficient evidence to support these statements. The majority of the benefits are anecdotal. Most people believe that taking an occasional snooze in a hammock is safe. However, if you want to do it nightly, consult a doctor first.