I'm the type that dives into new things head first with a sink or swim mentality and actually sold my bed after only one afternoon in my new hammock. So there's always that option.
I'm the type that dives into new things head first with a sink or swim mentality and actually sold my bed after only one afternoon in my new hammock. So there's always that option.
Moderate excercise just before retiring has been the go to advice, lots of Military folks in Boot Camp learn this with the culture shock of sleeping with 75 others for the 1st-Time.
200 sit-ups and 200 push-ups will have you sleeping quite nicely.
An 11-foot hammock that is 7.5-feet wide will have you side sleeping in no time. I like minimum stretch polyester for the fabric, with a 45-60 degree angle.
I am a side sleeper and when I was on the ground I would wake 10 a night if not more . I switched to a XLC and my first night had a little leg problem second night same thing leg problem but only woke once or twice each night . That was great to me compared to 10 times a night . So the next time I slept in my hammock I put a pad between the layers and that took the leg problem away . I was sleeping 10 hrs no problem . I also put my foot end up a little higher and sleep with my head closer to the head end . All that and I sleep great with or with out a pad ... When I backpack I sleep even better sometimes 12 hrs at a time ,if not for a bathroom break I don't think I would wake at all ....
Well I went on a weekend trip with my new Dutch 11' hammock last weekend. First night I got ok sleep. Second night I slept great even without ear plugs. Probably helped that I was wiped out from 14 miles of hiking. I was plenty comfortable and I went straight to my usual fall asleep ritual I do at home in the bed. Was a great feeling waking up the next morning!
Took me about 10 minutes the first time I slept in a hammock and I think that was all in my head from reading post about people not being able to sleep. Now I sleep better in a hammock than I do my bed. I am in the process of installing acchors in my wall so I can sleep inside whenever I want.
We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.
If you sleep in a bed all the time and then you all of the sudden switch to sleeping in a a hammock it's hard to get used to.
It's like speaking English your whole life then all of the sudden everyone starts speaking Spanish instead.
Hammocks are simply an alien thing to your body. Practice sleeping in them.
Last summer I took daily naps in my hammock and slept in my bed at night when I wasn't camping simply to practice sleeping in a hammock.
Some other helpful tips for sleeping in a a hammock are here: https://bestcampinghammockgear.com/h...mmock-properly
I was unable to sleep in the gathered end hammocks that I tried. Just could not get use to it. Recently got an AMOK Dramur. No more problems sleeping in a hammock, don't feel confined at all in the AMOK. I primarily sleep on my side as well, but when I lay on my back, there is zero shoulder squeeze.
I'm a stomach/side sleeper at home, but a back/side sleeper in my hammocks. I used to have lots of trouble as well, and here were my issues in hopes that it might help you.
#1. For me, the first solution was ditching the ENO. I finally got the "perfect pitch" one day with the ENO after measuring and using the calculator. I took a long time to do it. I was WAY more comfortable than I had been, but getting the perfect pitch in a 9'4" hammock actually revealed to me that this length just was not going to work for me at 5'11" tall. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get a good lay, and I finally realized why a longer hammock mattered.
#2. After really focusing on getting the right hang angle/strap length/height on the trees/ridgeline length figured out on a 10'6" or 11' hammock (it made a staggering difference in comfort right off the bat), heeding people's advice and raising the foot end was huge for me. While side sleeping, I tend to bend my knees and almost go into the fetal position. With the hammock hung evenly between both trees, this caused me to slide even more toward the foot end than usual. Once I raised that foot end up (even more than I thought was necessary), I started sleeping like an absolute baby. I stayed right in the sweet spot all night, closer to the head end, and now I only wake up for absolute bio emergencies haha.
Hope my own experiences help you in the slightest way. Best of luck - stay persistent. It's a journey, and it can be frustrating. But once you have that first night of absolutely undisturbed comfort, you will find yourself always just counting the days until you get to sleep in your hammock next!
"From form to form, beauty to beauty, ever changing, never resting, all are speeding on with love's enthusiasm, singing with the stars the eternal song of creation."
I listen to old time radio or a podcast downloaded to my phone and soon fall asleep.
Good advice here. Getting that foot end higher does wonders, specially for the UQ.Originally Posted by jswright2005
I sleep full time in a hammock, and 95% of the time I'm on my side. I don't really like sleep on my back
I'd rather be hanging.
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