Hammocks and tummy sleepers

[hikerjohnd]

OK - I am not saying I am going to get a hammock, but I am intrigued. If I lost a few pounds, I think a hammock would be a fun and comfortable option. As a tummy sleper I simply assumed hammocks would not be for me, but I thought I'd throw out the question - any tummy sleepers do the hammock thing? How do you sleep on the trail?

[jazilla]

I sleep both on my side and my stomach. I find I am most comfortable in between both of these positions. If I sleep in my Hennessey at a diagonal I am flat as can be. I have done the ground thing many years and I won't go back. My Brother and I are both prior service and now he has converted after sleeping one night in my hammock.

Oh by the way, the hammock bug is contagious.

[SGT Rock]

I normally sleep on my side as well, but normally I find after a few nights on the trail with my hammock I convert to sleeping on my back. At home I rarely ever fall asleep that way.

[titanium_hiker]

one stomach sleeper here! Hammocks are so comfortable!

Ok. So I used to be a REAL stomach sleeper, but I had back surgery and had to quit cold turkey for a while. Now I'm most comfortable in the "recovery" position, but I find I can sleep on my tummy, side, or back equally comfortably in a hammock.

Just Jeff has a good site- http://www.tothewoods.net

half-side positions are cool.

titanium_hiker

[Footslogger]

OK - I am not saying I am going to get a hammock, but I am intrigued. If I lost a few pounds, I think a hammock would be a fun and comfortable option. As a tummy sleper I simply assumed hammocks would not be for me, but I thought I'd throw out the question - any tummy sleepers do the hammock thing? How do you sleep on the trail?
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Might depend on the type and vintage of the hammock. I own a Hennesey (original pre-asym lightweight backpacker) and have found that SLEEPING on my stomach isn't very workable. I can get into that position and sometimes will lay there for a while as an alternative ...but given the relative "sag" of the typical hammock it is not congenial for my back for extended periods of time.

That said ...hammocks are VERY comfortable and what I have found is that I can sleep on my side instead of my stomach. The REAL issue for me with hammocks is weather comfort. What I found over time (and I did experiment with several alternatives) was that hammocks and cold temperatures do NOT work for me. I realize that it is possible to acquire the necessary accessories to adjust for colder weather hammocking ...I'm just not willing to go to that extent.

'Slogger

[tlbj6142]

I sleep on my stomach at home 90% of the time. In my HH ULA it is just not comfortable. While on your back you "feel" like you are flat, in truth, you are not. Just ask someone from the outside to tell you if you look flat.

That said, in a hammock, back sleeping is quite comfortable (though my knees get quite stiff on some nights, haven't exactly figured out why). In a hammock there is another position I find comfortable in which you are sort of on your back and sort of on your side. No possible on the ground, but it works in a hammock quite well.

Frankly, I typically sleep on the ground rather than use my hammock. On the ground I can sleep on my stomach without issue and I prefer a hard sleeping sufface anyway. I only use my hammock when I expect it to be hot and/or quite buggy.

[Just Jeff]

I agree with most of the posts here - it's kinda tough to actually sleep on your stomach in a hammock. I can't do it in my HH, but I usually spend a little while on my stomach right before I get up in the morning if I'm in a Speer-type. It helps if I pull my self all the way to the head end of the hammock.

I spend a lot of time on my stomach in my bed, but after a day or two in a hammock I don't even really notice that I'm no longer sleeping on my stomach.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

While we are discussing sleeping positions in a hammock - Do any of you experience shoulder pain / lower arm 'falling asleep' in a hammock? I have been experimenting with a 'test hammock' from Risk's site and I'm having this problem when in the unique 'in between back and side position' in a hammock.

[hammock engineer]

I am another one of the side or back sleepers at home. I sleep like this in my HH ULB, but I can also sleep inbetween my side and stomach. For me sleeping on my stomach is not very comfortable for very long.

My advice is to find someone in your area with a hammock and try it out. We hammockers are more than happy to help out and convert the masses.

[Just Jeff]

If you hang the hammock too tight, like a cocoon, it can squeeze your shoulders and cause some funny pains in the morning.

Since hammocks don't have the pressure points like ground sleeping, I sometimes spend hours without moving at all. And since I sometimes sleep on my back with my arms above my head, I've had my arms fall completely asleep - like so asleep that I couldn't even move them. I could move from my shoulders, but the rest of my arms just flopped around like those 20' tall blow-up dancing guys they put in the parking lot for car sales.

Otherwise, you just have to be careful how you lay on it, just like sleeping on the ground or in your bed.

[hikerjohnd]

So, if I am reading correctly, you can sleep on your tummy in some hammocks? Seems like it would be difficult.. How does that work exactly?:-?

[Footslogger]

So, if I am reading correctly, you can sleep on your tummy in some hammocks? Seems like it would be difficult.. How does that work exactly?:-?
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If I lay on a diagonal in my HH I can get pretty much prone. Problem is that I generally can't stay in that position for any great length of time.

'Slogger

[Rendezvous01]

One reason I've avoided hammocks is that I tend to snore while sleeping on my back--or so my wife claims. Of course on the Trail, in a hammock one would tend to sleep away from other hikers, and this would not be a problem for them, but any thoughts on this issue?

[Alligator]

If you knowingly disturb other hikers by snoring in your hammock and not stealthing you will be treated like a pinata :p .

[Skidsteer]

If you knowingly disturb other hikers by snoring in your hammock and not stealthing you will be treated like a pinata :p .

I'm getting this mental picture of hikers lining up with a trekking pole in hand, impatiently waiting their turn.

[Spock]

Do you tummy sleep in a LazyBoy? Maybe not. But if you can sleep in a lounger, you can sleep in a hammock... probably, maybe. I switch when hammocking and do OK, and maybe you will, too. Make one for an experiment... Use Walmart $1 per yard fabric, don't hem it and just tie off 10 feet of fabric to test. Unless you weigh more than 280, almost any synthetic will work for a while.

[Alligator]

I'm getting this mental picture of hikers lining up with a trekking pole in hand, impatiently waiting their turn.God forbid he's sleeping with his snack bag. There'll be no stopping once the MM's start falling out.

[River Runner]

I generally sleep on my stomach at home. I can sleep on my stomach in my Hennessy UL, but it isn't comfortable for long. Sleeping on my side, I can remain that way without moving for hours. I have had a twinge or two from my shoulder the next morning from remaining in the same position on it for several hours, so I do try to shift around a bit. Sleeping on my back is also comfortable in the hammock, even though I never sleep that way at home.

[Just Jeff]

So, if I am reading correctly, you can sleep on your tummy in some hammocks? Seems like it would be difficult.. How does that work exactly?

As I've said, I can't really sleep on my stomach in the HH BULA. I spend some time on my stomach in my homemade Speer-types, though. Here are some things I do...not always all at once:

- Slide myself all the way up to the head end and use the edge as a pillow. Being so close to the knot reduce the curvature of where I'm laying in the hammock.
- If I'm actually sleeping, I often put my arms underneath me with my hands under my chest, and lay on them. This helps me adjust how my body curves.
- If I have a pillow (or a clothing-filled stuff sack), I'll put it under my hips or belly to raise that part up a bit, and reduce the amount my body is curved.
- My Speer-types are narrower than most at about 50", and it's often comfortable for me to hang my feet out of the hammock. This sometimes helps me sleep on my stomach, too.

[Rendezvous01]

God forbid he's sleeping with his snack bag. There'll be no stopping once the MM's start falling out.

Okay, if I go the hammocking route, I'm changing my trail name to Pinata! :D Thanks, Alligator and Skidsteer, for the image and inspiration.

--The Hiker presently known as Rendezvous

[Alligator]

Okay, if I go the hammocking route, I'm changing my trail name to Pinata! :D Thanks, Alligator and Skidsteer, for the image and inspiration.

--The Hiker presently known as RendezvousI'll be test driving a hammock in a few weeks and I am a stomach sleeper. I'll report back then Monsieur/Senor.

[titanium_hiker]

perhaps piñata could enter hiker lexicon as someone who sleeps in a hammock? :) (had to include the correct n there too- it's pronounced nya)

titanium_geek

[Alligator]

Where'd you find the tilda:) ?

[titanium_hiker]

on a mac- (and I'm so impressed that I've found this!) it is option + n + letter-you-want-to-tilde
you can do é as well same method- there is also ü and î (option + letter+ letter) and ¿ ¡

on a PC- with a regular keyboard with numpad- it's hold alt + 164 on the numpad. é = 130, á = 160, í = 161 ó = 162, ú = 163, 165 = Ñ. can't remember the others.

on an international keyboard you type ' then the letter.

:D

titanium_hiker

[Alligator]

Gracías señorita!