lomographic's Profile

I have mold and dust mite allergies really badly. I can't sleep in basements. I sleep on a shikibuton style futon on the floor. i can't sleep on conventional mattresses for a long time because most mattresses actually get mold in the middle of them just because they're too thick and never moved. That and they're made with tons of flame retardant chemicals and synthetic foams that degrade into harmful VOCS. The fibers inside a thick mattress just gather moisture and stay there and mold. So I bought a thin shikibuton style mattress that i put directly on my hardwood floor. I also put a sateen mattress on top and sleep in breathable linen sheets. Every morning I have to fold up my futon and let it sit on top of a rack to let the fibers stretch and air circulate. It's so much easier to just stack and fold your linens instead of making the bed every morning. Plus I have all the extra space. I've heard some of the most racist things just from people considering beds on the floor! The western style of bed comes from the fact that up until the 18th century, people used to sleep in boxes, sometimes cupboards to keep in the heat and keep out the light but as hygiene became more important, then came the box bed, the canopy bed, and now just the open air bed what with heating. They're raised off the floor because people leave out their beds all day and wear their outside clothes and shoes indoors. Meanwhile, it's safer and more natural to sleep on the floor. Whoever said that "instinctually" thing about sleeping high up- for millenia as cave men humans, including homo sapiens, have traditionally dug a slight depress hole in the ground, put some straw or bulk leaves in there for a mattress and slept in the fetal position with their head elevated on one side of the hole. that's also why small, dark spaces make for better sleep cycles and why we sleep better in small groups.

I find as a woman, sleeping directly on the floor is hard on my hip and shoulder but putting a few hand towels under those areas, I can sleep well enough. Now, on a futon, it's like heaven. I had back problems before from sunken springs and overly fluffly pillows, but now with my futon and my buckwheat...ahhhh.

I also do my sitting on the floor and have low tables. Even when I was younger and had a traditional bed with bed frame, I always got a low one because it's easier to get into and out of instead of having to mount a horse every time I want to sleep or change sheets.