bed alternatives?

throwaway4372

throwaway4372

throwaway4372

Soldato
Joined
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Oxon
This thread was inspired by the sleeping bag thread which got me wondering why we don't use a mat and sleeping bag in the house.

I've heard of Japanese putting mats on the floor, but not of anyone doing that in the UK.

So I'm wondering if anyone has, or has ever had, something other than a standard issue bed?

I'm also partly interested in this because of dust mite allergy, avoiding bedding and fabric in general would be huge if I found a good alternative.
 
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When staying at my daughters uni flat I use this mattress and quilt. They roll up/squash down quite small and take up very little space when stored.

alpkit.com

Dozer Self-inflating camping mattress

A self-inflating camping mattress that's 7.5cm thick and is comfier than your bed at home. Sleep in luxurious, 5-star comfort.
alpkit.com alpkit.com

alpkit.com

Cloud Nine Ultralight down filled rectangular sleeping bag

An ultralight, 3-season rectangular sleeping bag with a 0°C limit filled with 400g of 750 fill power DownTek™ hydrophobic down. Enjoy more sleeping space than a regular sleeping bag or unzip to form a comfortable quilt.
alpkit.com alpkit.com
 
Meridian said:
Mattress straight on the floor? Couldn't afford the bed and it works just fine.
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Yeah I've done this at various points and it was fine.

The worst thing was the extra effort involved in getting in and out of bed, compared to one raised off the floor. But unless you're pretty old it's not exactly challenging.
 
ANDREW GREEN said:
I used to have a mate who had a bad back and swore sleeping on the floor was better for his back. He wasn't that bright though so I kind of doubt it'd help
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Been sleeping on a blanket on the floor for the last few months (thanks kids...), and to be honest it isn't too bad. It's probably not as good as a proper medical/orthopaedic mattress, but potentially better than a cheapo bed-supermarket job.

Depends on what you're comparing it to I guess (and also your floor - we have a relatively thick carpet & underlay in the bedroom, wouldn't want to sleep regularly on a wood/tile floor!).

Either way, it's far from the worst place I've slept :cry:
 
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Boring military story - In Thumrait, Oman supporting the '01 invasion of Afghan and sleeping in something we called the BFOT (Big **** Off Tent), I made a "futon" from wooden pallets with a thin 3in deep foam mattress on it and slept on that for about 2 months rather than our US-Style cot beds which I hated. I had absolutely no issue sleeping on the futon apart from one massive deal breaker towards the end - you shared with floor with other things like spiders etc - and after having "something" try to burrow into my ear one night, I had to get rid.
 
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I slept on an ikea futon, which was basically a wooden pallet with a cushion for about 4 months while waited for an issue with the house I purchased to be sorted.

It was similar to Japanese bedding… not fun!

Being so close to the floor with little padding meant it was cold.. also dusty…

It all depends on what you get used to… I like a firm mattress… and I can feel my back if I sleep on something too soft.
 
At one point in time, humans slept on hard floors in caves or on some sort of Hay. A bad mattress will destroy your back, and sleep, ask me how I know!

Do what ever is best for your sleep habits.
 
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