Hammock ergonomics?

[seekinggoodsleep]

Hi all,

I'm brand new here, though I've been lurking for a while. I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately due to sleep position discomfort and have been looking into options, which is how I came across hammocks. I bought a couple to test - an ENO DoubleNest and an ivation Brazilian one with a stand (from Amazon). I have moments of napping comfort, but they seem to end in my having a sore neck and sometimes feeling like my spine is tweaked side-to-side. I've read about the diagonal lay, hang with sag, etc. I'm at least trying to do those things, and I know I haven't tried enough to give up on it. Meanwhile, I continue to be sore most mornings and nights from my bed, which consists of a pretty plush mattress.

I have some things I've been wondering about that I was hoping people here might have ideas on. As for the side-to-side tweak feeling, it seems like that's because my shoulders and the sides of my hips are at different heights (left from right, I mean) or maybe have different pressures on them. Even on the diagonal, the fabric is pulling on one shoulder a different amount than the other. Same with the sides of my hips and feet. As for my sore neck, I'm thinking that's because the fabric pressure is greater on my head than at the base of my neck, so it pushes my head forward and strains my neck muscles.

For the ENO, you could guess that I hung it too tight, but for the Brazilian I hung it exactly as the stand allowed me. I even tried attaching the ends to a rope to increase the sag, but then I was touching the ground - the stand isn't that tall. I was putting more faith in that one because I've read a lot of people say that Brazilian hammocks are great for sleeping. But I don't think it's at a 30-deg angle when I get out of it, sigh. The angle looks smaller.

One trouble I have here is lack of access to good hanging points for testing these out. The trees in my yard aren't really suitable, so the indoor stand was my best shot. I had the ENO strung up on my kids' monkey bars for a bit, but they revolted and demanded the monkey bars back. Maybe I could test some floor joist points in the basement. My poor husband says he's afraid I'm going to move into the basement because of the hammock thing. He can tell how much I'm struggling with sleep position right now and isn't too excited about the idea of replacing our bed with the hammock full-time. No offense to anyone here, but I would've reacted the same way if I weren't so desperate for a good night's sleep. I don't want to force us into some awkward sleeping arrangement, but if that's the only way I can get good sleep, then I may have to. We have kids, so our sleep is already compromised on a regular basis.

Anyway, I'm wondering from those regular, full-time hammockers that have found their sweet spot whether they ever feel like their shoulders or hips are at a slight angle sideways. That part isn't super uncomfortable (vs. the neck thing, which is), but it makes me worry that it would be bad for me in the long run. From what I read, hammock sleeping isn't supposed to be completely horizontal because your head and feet are slightly raised, which seems like a good thing. But I had assumed that your body was supposed to be pretty symmetrical from left to right. Is that correct? When I visualize what parts of the hammock my two shoulders/hips/feet are on, one part is closer to the center and the other closer to the edge. Wouldn't it make sense the the edge one would be slightly higher than the center one? I know people have said that things just flatten out, but could it be that I'm more sensitive to a small asymmetry? Or do you think it's more likely that I haven't gotten the right hang yet?

In my bed, I'm usually a side sleeper with hips that are much wider than my shoulders, in case that matters. Also, I'm middle-aged...

Thanks for any help!

[ChucksOrangeDream]

Hi all,

I'm brand new here, though I've been lurking for a while. I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately due to sleep position discomfort and have been looking into options, which is how I came across hammocks. I bought a couple to test - an ENO DoubleNest and an ivation Brazilian one with a stand (from Amazon). I have moments of napping comfort, but they seem to end in my having a sore neck and sometimes feeling like my spine is tweaked side-to-side. I've read about the diagonal lay, hang with sag, etc. I'm at least trying to do those things, and I know I haven't tried enough to give up on it. Meanwhile, I continue to be sore most mornings and nights from my bed, which consists of a pretty plush mattress.

I have some things I've been wondering about that I was hoping people here might have ideas on. As for the side-to-side tweak feeling, it seems like that's because my shoulders and the sides of my hips are at different heights (left from right, I mean) or maybe have different pressures on them. Even on the diagonal, the fabric is pulling on one shoulder a different amount than the other. Same with the sides of my hips and feet. As for my sore neck, I'm thinking that's because the fabric pressure is greater on my head than at the base of my neck, so it pushes my head forward and strains my neck muscles.

For the ENO, you could guess that I hung it too tight, but for the Brazilian I hung it exactly as the stand allowed me. I even tried attaching the ends to a rope to increase the sag, but then I was touching the ground - the stand isn't that tall. I was putting more faith in that one because I've read a lot of people say that Brazilian hammocks are great for sleeping. But I don't think it's at a 30-deg angle when I get out of it, sigh. The angle looks smaller.

One trouble I have here is lack of access to good hanging points for testing these out. The trees in my yard aren't really suitable, so the indoor stand was my best shot. I had the ENO strung up on my kids' monkey bars for a bit, but they revolted and demanded the monkey bars back. Maybe I could test some floor joist points in the basement. My poor husband says he's afraid I'm going to move into the basement because of the hammock thing. He can tell how much I'm struggling with sleep position right now and isn't too excited about the idea of replacing our bed with the hammock full-time. No offense to anyone here, but I would've reacted the same way if I weren't so desperate for a good night's sleep. I don't want to force us into some awkward sleeping arrangement, but if that's the only way I can get good sleep, then I may have to. We have kids, so our sleep is already compromised on a regular basis.

Anyway, I'm wondering from those regular, full-time hammockers that have found their sweet spot whether they ever feel like their shoulders or hips are at a slight angle sideways. That part isn't super uncomfortable (vs. the neck thing, which is), but it makes me worry that it would be bad for me in the long run. From what I read, hammock sleeping isn't supposed to be completely horizontal because your head and feet are slightly raised, which seems like a good thing. But I had assumed that your body was supposed to be pretty symmetrical from left to right. Is that correct? When I visualize what parts of the hammock my two shoulders/hips/feet are on, one part is closer to the center and the other closer to the edge. Wouldn't it make sense the the edge one would be slightly higher than the center one? I know people have said that things just flatten out, but could it be that I'm more sensitive to a small asymmetry? Or do you think it's more likely that I haven't gotten the right hang yet?

In my bed, I'm usually a side sleeper with hips that are much wider than my shoulders, in case that matters. Also, I'm middle-aged...

Thanks for any help!

Good evening and welcome to Forums! You are about to get blown away with new friends and great advice and ideas.
Here's the deal, for me anyway. I think that for every single person and every single night in a hammock, there is a different way to do it. With that, I can tell you what works for me.
I have an Eno hammock. It was my first hammock and Eno makes a good hammock. But, I don't sleep in that hammock. I'm not familiar the Brazilian hammock you mentioned. The hammock I use is an 11 foot hammock with gathered ends and a fixed ridge line. A very good friend of mine made this hammock.
Because of the length and width, it allow me to sleep with my head to one side, and feet to the opposite. ( I don't really worry about head left, feet right or head right and feet left as it works out about the same.). The fixed ridge line helps make sure the hammock has the right curvature, which also helps with comfort.
With that said, I sleep on my back and either of my sides. I actually sleep more on my sides and I sleep well!
Not saying to go spent a lot of money. I don't think you have to. Just saying that I think a longer hammock with a fixed ridge line makes a huge difference!
Either way, get out there and hang around! It will come to you and I'm sure you will love it!
See ya on the trail!
Chuck


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[jcksparow]

This is your new best friend: https://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/ (also available as an app!)

You just plug in the length of your hammock, and it will generate all sort of useful information to help you dial in your ideal hang. It can give you a ridge-line length (which you can make from any non-stretchy cord) so you get the right amount of sag every time, as well as how high you will need to attach your suspension based on the distance between any two anchor points to achieve a perfect 30 degree hang.

General rule of thumb: the more diagonal you can lay, the more comfortable you'll be. If you're finding yourself squeezed around the neck/shoulders area while trying to achieve a comfortable diagonal lay, your hammock is likely too narrow.

Happy hanging!

[Phantom Grappler]

Maybe try a 12 foot long hammock by 6 feet wide. Very comfortable!
Here's hoping you find hammock nirvana--or at least a good snooze and an afternoon catnap.


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[OutandBack]

Hello seeking,
This video by Greg might help you with some of your questions.



I live in Littleton South of Denver. If that is close to you I'd be happy to meet you and your husband sometime. My wife and I are retired and home most days. I own several high end hammock you could try.

[seekinggoodsleep]

Wow, you guys are awesome! Thanks for these quick replies. To OutandBack, we actually live north of Denver, but we do make it down to Littleton sometimes.

I liked the video about hammock size. I had assumed that since I'm only 5'6", that all these >9' lengths were plenty, but this does make me want to try something bigger. Also, I hadn't realized the importance of the ridgeline - neither of my hammocks has one.

Do any of you sleep in your hammocks full-time? If not, have you found a bed setup that's at least as comfortable as the hammock? If you do F/T, would your suggestions be any different? I think my poor husband thinks I've lost it...

[OutandBack]

I am 5'8" and prefer 11' x 60" hammocks.



They don't feel the least bit too long. The only down side to an 11' hammock is you need a larger tarp when camping.



I don't sleep full time but have slept in one of my hammocks on my screened in porch 3-4 day a week for the last 3 years. Yes even in Winter.

[sqidmark]

5'4". After much testing, my wife and I decided that 11' is our minimal length for comfort. For us, any more than 60" in width is just wasted fabric. As for ridgeline length, we found the standard 83% to be close enough for us. I'd suggest an adjustable ridgeline to start out with so you can experiment to what's best for you.

[drsolarmolar]

As long as you're trying things, I highly recommend the Warbonnet Ridgerunner, made right there in Colorado. ( I think it's Evergreen(?)). Sounds like you're not too far from Warbonnet World Headquarters! Shoot them an email. I don't know if they have any way for you to try it there, but it might be worth a shot. Warbonnet also has a 60 day try it out guarentee so if you're not completely satisfied you can return it for a full refund. I've tried a few hammocks, but keep going back to the Ridgerunner runner as my unparalleled ideal of hammock comfort.

Don't forget that proper insulation (underquilt or pad) is important too for comfort.

[jhawk]

Ditto to everything the great posters said above in response to the OP. Also, props to you, seekinggoodsleep, for going out and searching for answers.

I had exactly the same experience. After about 30-45 minutes in the ENO, my neck would get sore, and I would feel shoulder squeeze. This was even after adding a structural ridgeline and getting a perfect 30 degree hang angle. Those things improved it, but it just wasn't good enough.

I picked up a Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Pro after that because I wanted an integrated mosquito net for summer. I didn't realize that it was 10'6" long at the time, compared to the 9'4" ENO. Once I got into that thing, I immediately understood the problem. The longer hammock made such a staggering difference in comfort I couldn't believe it.

Since then, I have purchased a variety of 11' hammocks, which I now recommend for anyone looking for a good camping hammock, although I think the 10'6" hammock was plenty comfortable for me at about 5'10".

My other tips would be always using at least a small pillow to help prevent neck soreness, raising the foot end higher than the head end to prevent sliding down to alleviate the calf ridge, and really making sure you focus on getting the angle and length of your suspension right so that your ridgeline is not too tight, and that you won't get unnecessary tightness resulting in things like shoulder squeeze.

Best of luck to you! It's a process, but once you get that first perfect night in the hammock, you will have instant relief and realize it was all worth it - and you will never go back.