Stomach Sleeper

[goldielocks]

So for all my fellow stomach-sleepers, I wanted to know if anyone else experiences ankle pain when they are backpacking. For whatever reason, I only get it when I go backpacking and sleep on my sleeping pad (sleeping on stomach with toes pointed). Does anyone else experience this? And do you have any recommendations?

[lonehiker]

I use a shorter pad utilizing my pack for my lower legs. The pack is less thick than sleeping pad combo I use so this allows for more of a bend in the ankle. If that made sense. Additionally I am not solely a stomach sleeper so I roll throughout the night left side, stomach, then right side. This puts less strain, or perhaps divides the strain, on the ankles. I also, when on stomach, can shift my hips a bit so that the toes aren't pointed down but rather to the side.

[Herby]

This hurts my heels and arches. Camping I either sleep on my side or put something under my pad to prop up my shins and let my toes hang more naturally. At home my toes hang down at the foot of the mattress and it allows my ankles and arches to be relaxed.

[BuckeyeBill]

Many moons ago when I switched to a hammock, I went from my stomach to my left side to sleep. Now even at home I am a left side sleeper. If you are intent on tenting, try side sleeping by placing some type of pad between your knees. Relieves pressure in the lower back by helping to keep your spine in alignment.

[Pringles]

I haven't found a good answer. I want to follow this thread...

[Leo L.]

Doing mostly cowboy camping, I stopped sleeping on the stomach after waking once to a Millipede crawling around my nose.

Whatever way I 'm sleeping now, I routinely stuff my flipflops and other items under the pad stragtegically to compensate for inadequate/uneven/sloping campspot, and/or get exactly my favorite shape of ground.
This last desert hike I had pretty sensitive heels due to half-healed blisters, so I made a roll out of my daypack stuffed with some clothes to place under my knees and lower legs, to sleep comfortabely on my back.
Pretty sure you could do the same for a support of the ankles while sleeping on the belly.

[Coffee]

I tend to be a stomach sleeper at home but have never been able to comfortably stomach sleep on my Neo air and pillow setup, or on any other setup I've tried. So I usually side sleep or sleep on my back when camping. Usually if I've hiked the miles I like to hike I'm so tired that I can sleep in any position.

[Puddlefish]

I'll occasionally drop my pack at the foot of my pad, and elevate my feet, when sleeping on my stomach.

[QiWiz]

I let my feet hang off the end of my NeoAir. Helps a lot.

[Puddlefish]

I let my feet hang off the end of my NeoAir. Helps a lot.

You could always just dig a hole for your feet with some sort of ... lightweight trowel like digging implement.

[Alligator]

Do you sleep with your feet off the end of the bed normally?

You could try a small pillow to elevate your feet or even, and this might sound wired, try water wings. I used to use as a pillow if you slice the band but it might actually work to just stick your feet through. Makes me wonder if they might be useful at home for bad heel blisters and back sleepers, but they probably would have a spare pillow handy.

I sleep on my stomach but I just point my feet. Some repeated stretching regularly might also increase flexibility.