A good friend of mine has already tried everything to get a good night's sleep: a suspension system to hang her arm in so that her shoulder is relieved. Pillows with special neck support or a hole in the middle. Special cushions to have an optimal position in / on the mattress and also a hole in the mattress, where the mattress cannot create pressure points at her shoulder.
When you suffer from chronic pain, it can be really difficult to get a good night's sleep. This can be due to the chronic pain system that wakes you up from everything and can't get into deep sleep. But it can also happen that the position in bed is really painful for you and that the pain of lying keeps you awake.
In the latter case: try a hammock. Melani gives here 10 tips for sleeping comfortably in a hammock.
#1
A hammock supports your body optimally (if you use it properly) and the light rocking gently cradles you into a deep sleep.
#2
Do not use a hammock with spreader bars, but a good wide hammock as used in South America.
#3
Use a hammock that is wide enough to lie diagonally, because then your back is flat and optimally supported. Find the optimal position and shift until you feel almost weightless. This is the posture in which your body is best supported.
#4
If you want to sleep in a hammock, make sure the hammock hangs in a gentle arc of about 30 (to 60) degrees. If you want to sit comfortably in your hammock, the sides will have to be hung higher to allow you to sit upright.
#5
Do not hang the hammock too high, then it will be difficult to get in and out. Do not hang the hammock too low, because you will be too close to the ground. When you sit in the hammock (at the middle point) your knees should make an angle of approximately 90 degrees.
#6
Support your body where you like with (soft) pillows. Most people also lie perfectly in a hammock without pillows, but if you have pain at a specific point, a pillow can offer a solution to lie in the right position.
#7
Provide adequate heat. In South America, indigenous people such as Yanomami Indians sleep in specially woven hammocks, which always create a small breeze due to the movement of the hammock. This is too cold in the Netherlands. To solve this, you can take a more densely woven hammock, or put a (fleece) blanket in the hammock before you lie down in it.
#8
You can also use a blanket over yourself to warm you from above. A blanket below you in the hammock and a blanket above you works better than a sleeping bag. In a sleeping bag you lose the freedom of movement that you are looking for in the hammock.
#9
With a hammock you can also sleep well in the open air and the open air is very beneficial. This also ensures that you sleep deeper and healthier.
When sleeping in the open air, think about a shelter or a rain tarp so that you stay dry. A mosquito net is also useful to keep the insects away from you.
#10
Of course you can also take your hammock with you on vacation. No more fear about the mattress or bed you will sleep in, no more fear about pillows, just bring your entire own bed in the form of your hammock. This way you can sleep comfortably in all places in the world in the same way.
Did you know that: a hammock also takes up much less space than a bed? Nice and handy if you have a small room. If you use carabiner hooks, you can easily remove your hammock after sleeping and store it in a cupboard. Nicely cleaned up.
Good night