Can't fall sleep

[Junebugdawn]

No one has mentioned this that I saw, so I will. Could it be are aren't warm enough? It took me almost a year to really sleep well in a hammock. Sometimes, I still don't sleep well. Part of the issue is that at home I am raising 8 children and busy, busy, busy. I sleep like a rock at home. In the woods, I sit. So, I'm not nearly as tired when I hit the hammock. The other big issue for me has been warmth. I sleep like a popsicle. It takes very warm quilts for me to be comfortable. I need an UQ even if it's well up in the 70s or even 80°. When I am toasty, I sleep soundly. When I have a cold spot or an just not warm quite enough, I don't sleep well. You may not feel cold, but your body may not be warm enough to sleep soundly.

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[bkrgi]

I'll agree,Yes the warmth factor can play into things...the warmer I am the longer I can/seem to sleep in. Just the slightest chill anywhere and it can affect my sleep

[markhait]

Thanks again for all your input.....no, I am warm. I have a 20° underquilt and over quilt and wasn't even close to their temp rating...and I didn't feel cold either...or too warm.
I am a side sleeper and I seem to remember that maybe I did fall asleep more often when I tried to side sleep. It's not too bad in a Warbonnet with the foot pocket thing.
I'll just make a more conscience effort to side sleep and give up on trying to back sleep when in my hammock and I'll try to get out more even if its only sleeping in my barn.

[Trail Troll]

I typically get 4_6 hours sleep a night. I toss and turn most nights. When in a hammock I still sleep 4_6 hours but I don't toss and turn, and I wake up very well rested. My first few times in a hammock I only got an hour or two of rest but still felt great. I think i had to adjust a bit. Hiking also helped me to sleep more normal too.

Plus the first night I had my three year old hanging over me (he slept like a rock) and I stayed up making sure he was good, not tossing and turning or falling out.

[markhait]

The other thought that I never considered is that maybe the little sleep that I get in the hammock is so good that a few hours is all I need?.....I feel great the next morning and not really tired either....maybe a couple hours is all I need?....

[alifeoutdoors]

It very well could be. With all my sleep troubles it never hurt my hiking and I never felt exhausted. Which is odd because as soon as I got into my forties I found even 1 second less than 8 hours of sleep, I'm dragging the next day. I definitely only switched setups because I found it irritating not detrimental.

[Insaniac99]

My wife sleeps 9 or so hours in bed and doesn't feel that well rested. her first night in a hammock she slept 6 hours and felt better than she ever had.

If you are sleeping and feeling rested, I wouldn't worry about how long of sleep it is.

[Chum!]

I've found adjusting my strap height on the tree helps, especially on my foot end. If my foot end is just a few inches two high I can't get comfortable enough to sleep soundly...get out, adjust, BOOM! I'm down for the count.

[Carrico]

I usually take a Tylenol PM and wear earplugs or fall asleep listening to an audiobook. Even then some nights I tossed and turned a bit and some nights I can't sleep 10 hours.

[Rolloff]

I rarely sleep well the first night out in the woods. What seems to help the most, is to just keep hiking. I'll stay on the trail, if i can, until I'm losing enough light, that I'm concerned about being able to pick a good site. By the time, I usually get camp set up, I'm beginning to get a little chilly, mostly because, the Sun is now down, and I'm still in damp hiking cloths. Once I change into dry base layers, and make something to eat, if I've done it right, welcome to hiker midnight.