Is sleeping on the floor good or bad for health?

Benefits of sleeping on the floor for health

1. Improve posture

Sleeping on your back on a flat, hard floor is believed to help improve spinal alignment.

It's different from when you lie on a soft mattress. Your posture tends to sink into the curve of the mattress, so the shape of your spine will also change accordingly. This makes the spine unable to support its natural shape.

2. Cure aches and pains

For some, sleeping on the floor can be an inexpensive way to relieve aches and stiff muscles. Especially after sitting too long after a long day at the office.

Aches and pains are generally caused by bad posture or lack of movement. This habit will continue to put pressure on the spine, muscles, and joints which will cause a sensation of aches all over the body.

Aches and pains can also occur if you sleep all night on a mattress that is too soft. Because the curve of the spine will continue to be allowed to protrude in the shape of the mattress, as a result, the muscles of the body feel stiffer when you wake up in the morning.

3. Blood circulation

Sleeping on the floor is also believed to be good for improving blood circulation. When you lie flat, the work of the heart will be easier to pump and flow blood throughout the body because there is no gravitational resistance from curves or body positions that can slow blood circulation.

In addition, the lymphatic system also works better and faster to flush out toxins when the body is lying flat on the floor.

Then, what's the harm in sleeping on the floor?

1. Not sleeping well

For some people who are never accustomed to lying on the floor, sleeping on a hard, cold floor can be uncomfortable. This discomfort can make it difficult for you to sleep well, which can cause you to wake up even more tired.

2. Make aches and headaches

The temperature of the floor surface is cooler than the mattress. When the body is exposed to cold temperatures for a long enough time, the body's tissues will expand and swell, causing the joint space to squeeze. This then causes joint pain or a painful sensation in your bones.

Some people are also prone to experiencing headaches after lying on the floor for a long time due to the same cause. The floor surface temperature is lower but the humidity is high enough that your body temperature drops suddenly.

This sudden environmental change causes the levels of the hormone serotonin in the brain to become imbalanced. As a result, the nerves of the brain overreact and cause headaches.

3. Colds and colds

People say sleeping on the floor can get you colds and catch a cold. This is not quite right. You really can't just catch a cold or catch a cold after lying on the floor.

Colds are just a term made by Indonesians to represent various symptoms of a combination of gastritis (dyspepsia) and flu which are caused by many different things, not caused by the "ingress" of the night wind. While colds are generally caused by viruses or other congenital infections.

However, when you feel cold, you are prone to falling sick sooner. So to prevent "colds", you should use a base such as a yoga mat or a thick blanket while sleeping on the floor at night.

4. Dust, germs, and insects

Even though it looks clean, the floor surface remains an ideal shelter for germs, dust, and other small animals that you can't see with the naked eye. If you are allergic to dust or are prone to insect bites, sleeping on the floor can exacerbate your problems.

Therefore, it is better to cover the floor with a thin mattress to avoid unwanted risks. Also make sure to sweep and mop the floor of the room so that there are no crumbs of food that can invite ants or insects.