Likely the third thing Japan is best known for behind Samurai & Sushi, sleeping on the floor has been a part of it’s culture since the first tribes that lived there. Most Japanese and even foreigners sleep on the floor. This practice comes with many benefits such as helping with bone and joint pain. Although it make be uncomfortable at first, you should get used to it after a night or two. Simply grab a pillow, blanket, yoga mat or bedroll and sleep. Relax and feel the support on your body.
Benefits of Sleeping On The Floor
Improved Neck, Hip, and Back Pain
While you may think nothing would be better for a bad back than sleeping on a comfy mattress, in reality it’s likely the worst thing for it. Mattress are giant cushions, they cushion instead of support. With this lack of support, your bones & joints curl & flex into weird positions. You sleep like this for a 3rd of your life, causing heaps of damage. Since the floor is obviously flat and supporting, it realigns your bones & joints, helping with not only the pain but in many cases actually curing it. This is also why Japan has some of the lowest rates of bone & joint problem in the world.
Improved Posture
Just as support for your bones and joints helps fix pain, the realignment and proper support of your neck and back will improve your posture. Elderly people give the appearance of becoming shorter, when in reality it is actually the urch forward of their neck and head from sleeping with improper support. Your body sinks into your mattress while your head remains elevated with the pillow. This urches your head forward like a gremlin for a 3rd of your life, causing bad posture. When you sleep on the floor, the adjustment between your head and torso is much better, stopping this.
Efficiency & Space
Because you’re sleeping on the floor, there aren’t any structural constraints during the day. This allows you to move around more freely and have additional space for things. This also reduces environmental stress on the mind, contributing to a better mood. Whenever you need to take a nap, you can just grab a blanket and lay in whatever room you are in as well. This is ideal for keeping a productive flow, especially in (home) offices.
Momentum
Nothing quite screams ‘Warrior Monkmode Grind’ more than sleeping on the floor like a samurai. The prospect of sleeping on the floor in a bedroll just speaks volumes, it shows discipline and devotion, that you are grand warrior making it. Making your bed in the morning is common advice and for good reason. You see, making your bed is a small victory, one right off the bat to perfectly flow your day. When you wake up, you will roll your bedroll up like an ancient warrior, awaking from a night on the road, peering into the sunrise and breathing in the air of another day of adventure. How you start your day is how you end it. Live victoriously.
Conclusion
Now I don’t recommend throwing away your mattress, it is the symbol of a king after all, hence the King sized. However, I believe that bed is for when you truly are a king and have built your empire. The warrior life of rise & grind is the journey, and the journey is always the funnest and hardest part. Reap what you dream of, find an equal queen, and reign with your legacy.
Apex of Men 