I can’t believe that, except for my trip to Haven, I’ve been sleeping in a hammock for going on two months now! I really can’t see myself going back to sleep in a “real” bed again. The trip to Haven really confirmed that to me — a bad night in a hammock is still a better night than the best night in a perfect bed.
One unfortunate thing is that the hammock seems to be stretching out in parts, which makes sense. The once a week wash and rehanging is really important and when I do it next, I’m going to sew some colourful thread on one of the hanging loops before I take down the hammock so I can be sure to hang it the opposite way after. This way, it should at least stretch out evenly. Or one can hope! The stretched-out-edness does not affect comfort when sleeping because my body naturally moves into the most comfortable position, but it does make it harder to get comfy for reading time before bed as the sides are really rigid and I find myself gravitating towards lying length-wise in a banana shape. It’s incredible how I always wake up lying flat and diagonal, though!
I brought back two things from Haven to improve my hammock experience. Yup, I had stuff at Haven that could do that! Those two things are the sleep sacks, one summer weight and one winter weight, that I had for my sleeping bags! The summer weight one is just a soft cotton sheet that my mother folded and sewed along the bottom and partway up the side. I get less tangled than I did in the sheet and I remain better covered at night. The winter weight one was also made by my mother out of fleece in the same principle as the warm-weather one. Last winter, there were nights that I really need to wrap up and even wear flannel PJs, so I know the fleece sleep sack is going to be very useful in a few months!
Getting in and out of the hammock now feels very natural and effortless. Maybe not quite yet like something I’ve done all my life, but already getting there. It does suck to have to get up to do something once I’m all cosy, but it was like that in a bed too.
The rooster remains the only reason I don’t sleep 8+ hours straight most nights and the hammock is the only reason I still manage to get a solid 7-8 (enough) despite the offending bird. I remain a convert. π
I’m so envious of this!
It is wonderful. π
I know a hammock is much cooler to sleep in, but do you think it will be warm enough in the winter? I think that you will need a lot of insulation under you ….
My room goes down to about 15C in the winter, so it’s not going to be THAT cold in the room. You are correct about the insulation under me. I’ll start, though, with my fleece sleep sack and see how I do. If that’s not enough, I can put down a layer of blankets and lie on that, then add blankets over me as necessary. I’ve had a few Mexican acquaintances also tell me to keep my eye out at stores like Walmart and such for thin mattresses that are mean to be used with hammocks in cold weather and which will be coming out very soon.
I have slept in a snowbank at 40 below in just a sleeping bag. I can’t imagine sleeping in a hammock during a tropical winter will be nearly as challenging! π