[pengaru]

After reading some of the comments here I didn't bother reading the article.

Just wanted to mention on the subject of being uncomfortable:

I've slept on the floor for decades, initially just to avoid wasting space on a bed in my bedroom while still living at home. But this increasingly became apparent as preventative of waking up with back pains which I'd experience whenever deviating from the floor at friends' homes or hotels, so I just kept doing it. It's not cozy or comforting, it's just dull but I'm so used to it that it's fine.

Eventually it became clear that by sleeping on the floor I had unintentionally made getting up easier. It's not a comfort trap like the soft cozy beds I used to sleep on. This effect became very apparent when I started doing pushups every morning. When I'm already on the floor from where I slept, it's a very short (dis)comfort delta from where I was to where I want to be when what I want is doing pushups on the floor. I'm already on the hard floor; just put away the blankets and pillow and bust out a set then get on with the day. There's no substantial comfort debt to dig myself out of first...

Since experiencing this I've started becoming more conscious of limiting comforts and making them more intentionally used when necessary. It pays in dividends to be a bit tougher across the board. Maximizing comfort continuously is tantamount to coddling yourself constantly, that's what we do to spoil babies.

[nicbou]

The discomfort of leaving a comfortable bed is relatively small compared to the discomfort of sleeping on the floor.

I've slept in many terrible places, and I'll take leaving my warm bed on a cold morning over them any day.

[em-bee]

the problem is not floor vs bed but soft mattresses that don't support your body properly. i like to sleep on hard mattresses on a bed. but if the mattress is soft and sleeping on it hurts my back then sleeping on the floor is preferable. incidentally i have shoulder pain since a few days and i am quite sure the mattress i am sleeping on is the cause.

[P5fRxh5kUvp2th]

I've often wondered if sleeping on the floor is better for your back.

Because of how poor I grew up, I slept on the floor for most of my life until I went to college and started doing it again after college. Of course sleeping with someone else means sleeping in beds again, but I can generally sleep on a floor just fine. Most people will end up complaining about aches and pains when they do.

I don't have any evidence for or against it, but I personally generally feel better when sleeping on the floor.

[pengaru]

IMO thinking about the nonuniform distribution of mass on the body, it becomes apparent that the heavier areas want to sink deeper into a squishy surface than the rest, assuming a uniform firmness distribution of mattress.

So less dense areas of the body are being pressed upward while the rest tries to sink lower, putting all sorts of awkward deformations and strain into the spine, depending on orientation.

For me there's an ideal amount of deformation and that's on the order of a thick rug or yoga mat, just to distribute the load slightly at points of contact (and some thermal insulation). Japanese tatami mats are pretty good since they're basically just slightly compliant breathable floor panels which helps with heat/humidity issues.

As long as my mid section and extremities that don't generally get any propping up on a flat floor can remain unelevated vs. the sinking rest I don't seem to ever have any back problems. One thing that's surprised me is how little thickness is required for it to become an issue. Even sleeping on a birth in my buddy's sailboat without removing the ~2-3" foam cushion can cause me back aches come morning. Remove the cushion and sleep on the underlying bare wood instead? Zero problems, reproduced numerous times over the years.

I hear you re: sleeping with someone else. It's been a sticking point in my past relationships. But for me especially the older I get, I definitely value my physical health, fitness, and lack of chronic pain far more than having a partner to share a bedroom with. It's an easier path to choose without want for children...