Is it possible to sleep on a mattress without a bed? Definitely yes. Sleeping on the floor has undeniable benefits. The spine takes the correct physiological position. Due to this, the functioning of internal organs and blood circulation improves.
A mattress instead of a bed is a tempting option for lovers of minimalism
Mattress for sleeping on the floor
The floor mattress for sleeping (futon) after dreams is easily removed into the designated place
Wicker mats, then tatami, futons - the Japanese have been using them for centuries. During the day, the sleeping place is rolled up and put in a closet. For the Japanese, this option is an escape from the hot subtropical climate, a tribute to tradition. For Europeans, it is a way to improve their health, diversify their interiors, and save money.
In Japan, it is customary to sleep on the floor, or at most on a flat wooden bed, regardless of the person’s well-being
Apparently, you can sleep without special furniture. Actually, what is a bed? A frame for a mattress, the springs of which prevent it from prematurely deforming under the weight of the human body. Plus a piece of furniture, again. Therefore, a mattress without support in the form of a solid base has a dual function. It must be elastic, durable, orthopedic.
A Japanese-style sleeping area, in which there is no traditional bed, but instead only a mattress
Refusing the bed: is such a decision reasonable?
Those who adhere to the classic approach when decorating a bedroom can hardly imagine it without a bed. Not everyone can decide to sleep on the floor, but this is not necessary. You can choose a non-standard bed or a low bed. The main thing is that the furniture satisfies all the requirements of the residents.
There are three main types of beds:
- European. Beds that are familiar to everyone and have an average height. They suit most people.
- American. Such products are quite tall in stature. They are quite popular in North America, but are rarely used in Europe and Asia.
- Eastern. Beds of this type are mounted on low legs that are not too far behind the floor. The base of the furniture is wide, so the mattress does not completely cover it.
Not everyone can decide to place a mattress on the floor. Then you can abandon the traditional bed and pay attention to the oriental option. In addition, you can not lay the mattress on a regular bed, but only on its frame, which does not have a headboard, footboard or decor.
Usually this is done in order to save money, because the simplest design is quite inexpensive. The height of the legs attached to the frame can be adjusted as desired. To make the structure look beautiful, it is covered with fabric like a cover.
There is another original solution that will allow you not to spend money on furniture. You can build a bed frame from cargo pallets (pallets). Designers often use pallets to make cabinet furniture. They are selected according to the dimensions of the mattress, sanded, painted or varnished, then connected to each other with fasteners. Since the height of the pallets is small, the sleeping area will become low.
Interiors of rooms in which mattresses on the floor are used instead of beds for sleeping:
Advantages and disadvantages of the mattress
Sleeping on the floor, on a thin mattress, has an important advantage. At the same time, the spine takes a physiological position, the load on the neck and lower back becomes minimal. Blood circulation is optimized, the functioning of internal organs improves. As a result, a person wakes up rested and cheerful, his posture straightens.
If the mattress is used instead of a bed, other advantages are also visible:
- Saving. A furniture + mattress set costs more than one mattress. If you don't buy a bed, your costs will be significantly reduced.
- Easy to clean and operate. There are special futon topper mattresses on sale that are rolled up and put away after waking up. Any mattress can be raised and leaned against the wall. The covers can be easily removed from the products, washed or cleaned.
- Safety. Often adults and children fall from their sleeping positions. This usually happens during a period of sound sleep. If you sleep on the floor, it is impossible to get injured.
- Freeing up space. In a small room, after cleaning the mattress, you can free up a lot of space, which is suitable for work, playing with children, etc.
- Unusual look. A low sleeping place will become a “highlight”, especially if it is beautifully decorated.
- Deep sleep. Since the mattress will be located below, the air here is better saturated with oxygen. This is much more beneficial for human health and well-being.
There are also disadvantages to this idea:
- Lack of orthopedic base. If there are no special slats fastened into a single structure, the service life of the mattress will be reduced. It will still press through and deteriorate faster.
- Lack of ventilation. When the mattress is on the floor, the bottom of the mattress is “locked.” Condensation begins to accumulate inside the filler. Due to low air circulation, the operating time of the product is also reduced.
- Health problems. Despite the benefits for the body, sleeping on the floor can end in trouble for a person. The cold air that “walks” below can cause hypothermia and a cold. This happens especially often on concrete floors and with a thin mattress. In addition, in older people, getting up from the floor often causes exacerbation of diseases of the spine and joints.
- No backrest. Sleeping without a headboard is quite uncomfortable and unusual. The pillow may slip back or roll, as a result it will have to be adjusted regularly.
Why is mattress thickness an important parameter?
Basing your choice on the brand name or the maximum number of good reviews is not the most correct strategy for buying a mattress. The appropriate thickness of the product affects the user's comfort level and some other important indicators of rest. This characteristic depends on:
- Orthopedic level
. This means that, for example, a thin mattress is not enough for an adult, since it will not provide an anatomically correct body position during rest and sleep. The center of the body should go deeper into the mattress so that the natural curve in the lumbar region remains that way. So that it is not smaller or larger, you need as much filler as is enough to adjust to the contours of a person. - Maximum load on the sleeping area
. For example, an adult will immediately push through a soft and low mattress when he feels the base of the bed underneath him. And this is not very comfortable, and certainly not “hovering” on a cloud, as many manufacturers promise. The load capacity is higher in tall products without springs, as well as in mattresses with independent springs and solid fillings such as sisal, coconut coir, and holcon. - Comfort of rest
. This is especially noticeable in spring mattresses. If there is a little filler above the block of springs (less than 3 cm, with the optimal being from 3 to 5 cm), then even a person with little weight will feel discomfort in the form of springs. - Lifetime
. Everything here is logical and simple: the side on which a person sleeps without periodically changing surfaces fails faster. So, low single-sided mattresses are at risk of wear and tear with this use faster than double-sided ones. But! Springless models do not meet this criterion: their durability depends on the quality of the materials used.
Mattress + base
For the budget conscious. Let's imagine a situation: you don't want to buy one mattress and put it on the floor (which is quite natural), but you don't yet have the money to buy the bed of your dreams. What to do? Everything is very simple: buy spare parts - a mattress and a base for it, but not an ordinary one, but with legs.
There are quite a few such models on sale: in many beds, the headboard and side walls are not load-bearing, but serve only a decorative function. Therefore, they are equipped with a load-bearing base with their own support legs.
A mattress on a wooden or metal frame - base - is a completely self-sufficient structure. But she does not shine with special beauty. Manufacturers care more about durability than about the visual appeal of parts. Under the mattress, either legs or a support are visible, reminiscent of a “second mattress”. To correct the situation, you can sew a floor-length textile valance: a “skirt” will cost much less than a bed frame. But the lack of a headboard is a much more serious problem. Are you ready to sleep without it? Decide for yourself.
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On the picture:
Mattresses on a base can look like two mattresses stacked on top of each other. Or as a mattress on a support grid with its own legs.
For lovers of comfort. You don’t need to think that a mattress with legs is exclusively an “economy option.” Along with conventional reasons, there are also expensive innovative solutions. These are so-called sleeping systems (sleep systems) from leading European manufacturers, which are sold as a set.
They are often equipped with adjustments: the mattress and base (or rather, their parts) rise or fall synchronously, depending on what position you want to occupy. For example, you can lie down “legs up” by raising the corresponding zone.
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The best orthopedic mattresses - types
This type of product can be spring or springless type.
- Springless. They are based on elastic porous materials covered in a cover.
- Spring. It is based on dependent or independent spring blocks.
In the dependent block, the springs are connected. When loaded, all elements work, creating a hammock effect. Such mattresses will not last long, but they have a low price.
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In an independent unit, the springs are not connected. They are isolated from each other. If you use double mattresses on a bed for two, then vibrations from the movements of one person will not be transmitted throughout the entire product.
This type of sleeping elements, in turn, is divided into airbags and multipack. The first option has 256 springs per 1 sq.m., the second: from 500 pcs. up to 1000 pcs. The more springs, the better.
In addition, this type can be of different hardness: soft, medium and high, or be a combination.
Japanese tatami. What is this?
The Japanese are a people who are sensitive to their health. Sleeping on a hard, flat surface helps prevent diseases of the spine and back. But this does not mean that Japanese people sleep on bare floors. For this purpose, they weave thick mats of rice straw, called tatami. Such devices for night sleep perfectly allow air to pass through, allowing the skin to breathe and not sweat. The ancestor of tatami in Japan were hard and uncomfortable wicker mats laid directly on the floor. Later, to soften sleep, carpets were woven - mattresses 5 cm high. They were also located on the bare floor.
Currently, in Japanese homes, tatami is used as a floor covering. To make them, you need to know clear weaving rules regarding the size of tatami and their location on the floor.
Traditional tatami come in the following sizes: 90x180 cm, 90x90 cm, etc. In some houses, a mattress was used on top of wicker tatami - a futon, the filling of which was cotton or wool. However, due to the high cost of a bed, a floor mattress was considered a luxury and was only available to wealthy Japanese. Now a futon can be seen in almost every Japanese family.
For convenience, practicality, and saving living space, the futon is put away in the closet after sleep, and the tatami is used as a place for holding a tea or lunch ceremony. It is also permitted to perform normal daily work on the tatami surface. In general, modern Japan is characterized by minimalism with maximum benefit from a small living area. Almost every Japanese house has a surface covered with tatami, which, by the way, differs from ordinary flooring in its very high cost.
Mattress or bed - what to choose
Placing the mattress on the floor is considered fashionable and gives the room a touch of “bachelor carelessness.” It is best to arrange a sleeping place without a bed in a studio, housing for a young family without children, or a rented apartment. A mattress on the floor is perfect for interiors in boho, loft, and minimalist styles. An original place to sleep will appeal to those who prefer to regularly change the decor in their home.
A sleeping area without a bed is more suitable for young people and teenagers. A mattress on the floor is also good if money is tight. Elderly people are unlikely to like this option, because getting up from the floor every day will be quite difficult. In each case you will have to make a decision individually. However, doctors do not advise giving up bed altogether. An orthopedic mattress is more effective when combined with a special base, and the savings may not be justified.
