10 ms·

Get Uncomfortable

64 points by madiator 4y ago

thinkmcfly 4y ago
I dunno if I agree with this premise. Some comforts are illusionary but others are not, and once you lose them they are gone, and you will forever live in discomfort.
- TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
  Like what?
  - nverno 4y ago
    I'm also curious what OP had in mind. The only thing I came up with was irreversible physical/mental damage.
    - alocasia-1 4y ago
      Credit score (I kid)
    - P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
      I know several people who live in pain every day due to their back, one cannot sit basically at all, and they all must constantly change position to manage the pain. Imagine not being able to finish a netflix movie in 1 sitting. They manage it because they have to.
- marginalia_nu 4y ago
  It may be uncomfortable, but you will be free. Taken to the extreme, it grants you a sort of freedom that can't be taken away. You can't compel a man who has nothing they're not willing to give up.
  - Applejinx 4y ago
    Is the purpose sitting there passively saying 'ya, you can't make me do anything' or are you going to do something with that? :)
    - Mezzie 4y ago
      An example from my life is that I'm very hard to bully/persuade to let things go/get to accept bad decisions. Usually, the impetus behind shutting up and going along is that speaking up will have ramifications on one's career. However, I have MS, which means I had to come to terms with possibly losing my career randomly no matter what I say or do. So it's not really something that can be held over me anymore. I'm way more stubborn post diagnosis because I promise you (whoever you are) are way less scary than the fact that I might wake up and never walk again. In my life this manifests through a willingness to speak up for those lower on the totem pole, to call people out on being manipulative assholes, and a willingness to take bolder decisions because I've been through worse, so come at me, bro.
  - Mezzie 4y ago
    Be careful not to be willing to give up the tools needed to accomplish your goals, however. Freedom, like wealth and efficiency, can easily become its own end instead of the end to a healthy, fulfilling life.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
nicbou 4y ago
The article fell short for me. It didn't give a convincing reason for it, especially when the closing statement is "do it sometimes, but be smart about it". I read it thinking of the hustle culture people who associate cold showers and other performative discomfort to success, and wondered how they would read it. I seek discomfort when there is a significant payoff, some unique experience that's worth the pain. Risk eating something completely different, taking the slow route somewhere, talking to strangers, taking the road less travelled. Fortune favours the bold. It's ambivalent about people who take cold showers.
- SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago
  In order to grow, you should push at the edges of your comfort zone; nether staying entirely within the known, nor leaping put into the unknown and flailing wildly not knowing what is gong on. "cold showers" is a counter-example of this, it is "performative discomfort" as you say without a learning. Not all discomfort is productive in itself. Discomfort is a side effect that has other causes. But discomfort is an effect of this learning, even a marker: in the words of David Bowie, "If you feel safe in the area that you're working in, you're not working in the right area. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbnef_eXBM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbnef_eXBM
  - superbaconman 4y ago
    Cold showers have very real effects on the human body. > Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neurochemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalize during the cold exposure. Cold causes their levels to stay elevated for some time and their ongoing effect after the exposure is to increase your level of energy and focus, which can be applied to other mental and/or physical activities. https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance/ https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure...
Incipient 4y ago
I'm not sure if the author really made a point here. Make yourself uncomfortable by choice, so you'll be able to tolerate it when, "chances are low" to quote, it comes around anyway? I'm not sure if "spending 1 minute in an ice bath" really drove it home. "I've given up takeaway during the week" or "I've stopped using my aircon" would be more...impactful? As it is, it comes across as comparing a cold bath to what undeveloped countries live in, which feels very naive.
- simmerup 4y ago
  It really has vibes like the pop song 'Common People'
Applejinx 4y ago
For someone who cites Seneca, this author sure doesn't seem to get stoicism. You could make yourself uncomfortable by donning a mail gauntlet and punching yourself in the face every thirty seconds until you die. So what? What good does that do for anybody, yourself included? It's this intensely epicurian take on stoicism. It's like, the purpose of becoming hard, tough, and a badass is to sit there enjoying that you are a hard, tough, stoic badass. What are you going to DO with that? Answer that question and I'll tell you what you are. If you have no answer, you just told ME what you are. Am I going to lose any sleep over that? Nah. What good would it do for me to be angry over some fool's self-absorption? If I have nothing better to do than fret over that, it's an indictment of me and I ought to attend to that lack in myself. Be uncomfortable if it serves a purpose. If, like Seneca, the purpose is 'not to get too out of touch with regular people', that's fine, if that matters to you. I play drums and lift weights. I don't like the weights, but when I sit down to play drums (or carry firewood etc) I'm not helpless thanks to the discomfort. Purpose transforms all this. Purpose is nice. It's the point of the exercise, not just sitting there contemplating your badassery.
- code_runner 4y ago
  Lifting weights has added so many little moments to my day to day where I say “wow that’s not as heavy as it looked”. I decided to prune a couple of trees in my front yard and haul the branches to the curb, not even a little sore the next day. I didn’t start with a particular purpose but I knew I wanted something a little different. Now when I go to the gym and it’s a day I’m just not into it, I drag myself in there anyways.
  - giantg2 4y ago
    Are people supposed to get sore from dragging a couple limbs?
    - alex_sf 4y ago
      Considering the average fitness level of an adult in Western society, it's entirely likely.
thenerdhead 4y ago
Taleb makes a good point about philosopher kings like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, etc (those who lived much life of comfort due to riches). That they were kings before they were philosophers. Goggins on the other side grew up more like Epictetus. Where the philosophy drove them to sagehood/being kings of their own categories. This blog falls a bit short on what pain and suffering can do to a person. The whole stoicism movement is more akin to the myth of Sisyphus. Like Camus’s book: The struggle itself ... is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
giantg2 4y ago
If you're in actual pain (not just sore) after the gym, you're doing something wrong. Did I miss the point of the article? It seems like it skipped why someone is looking to get tough. Without that, I'm skeptical that sitting in an ice tub etc is really effective at making someone tough outside of that very specific scenario.
- DrThunder 4y ago
  [dead]
Throw4949 4y ago
> If you are in the US or any developed nation, chances are that your life is pretty comfortable.... you are sitting in a warm balmy room ... You have access to plenty of foods... water is nice and warm... we have access to tremendous amounts of energy... and there is a surplus of everything. Really? My experience is pretty much opposite. In "developing" nation I can afford pretty much anything. House heating, hot water, plenty of good food, car with plenty of gas... My parents in "developed nation" are freezing their asses for some stupid politics. Switching on hot water only briefly for quick showers. Supermarkets only have processed junk food. They can not afford car. Politicians are telling 70 year old woman to use bike in snow storm instead...
- em-bee 4y ago
  for someone working in IT with a high income that is probably true to an extent, but then there are other issues to deal with. where i am now, i can afford the things as you say, but to get there i have to content with a higher crime rate, corruption, horrible traffic, bad public transport, power outages, water that i need to at least boil before i can drink it, low quality products unless i get imported products which cost twice as much as where they come from. it certainly meets the definition of getting uncomfortable...
trabant00 4y ago
If you are in the US or any developed nation, chances are that you are working pretty hard to maintain your life style. So enjoy that warm balmy room, with hot chocolate in one hand and a mobile in another. This post sounds like a teenager who's just read Dune and thinks "Sardaukar tough but Fremen tougher".
mastax 4y ago
I agree that this blog is not very good at clearly arguing it's conclusion, though I do agree with it for three reasons. First intentional discomfort encourages you to pay attention to what your body is saying, and trains your willpower. It's easy to fall into a default state of being where impulses come up from your subconscious and you act on them without thinking. Doing uncomfortable things trains you to listen to your body tell you to not do something, and trains you to have the willpower to do it anyway. Second, discomfort helps you appreciate comfort. Hot cocoa in front of the fireplace is nice, but after a day of snowshoeing it's incredible. The fist meal you have after completing the Appalachian trail, whatever it is, will be the best meal of your life. Third, there is increasing evidence that certain types of physical discomfort improve health and longevity. Aerobic exercise is obvious and well supported. There is growing evidence that exposure to very hot and very cold temperatures improves longevity. There is also evidence that fasting helps as well. Keep in mind that "does X make you live longer" is a difficult question to answer in a scientifically rigorous manner. I'm on mobile or I'd link to some studies.
- nicbou 4y ago
  > Hot cocoa in front of the fireplace is nice, but after a day of snowshoeing it's incredible This makes a stronger point than the whole article. However, the reward for the discomfort wasn't just cocoa. Snowshoeing is hopefully also enjoyable. My point in a comment up there was that you should probably save discomfort for things that have some kind of payoff. Hiking is an excellent example of that.
madiator 4y ago
I am the author of the blog and I want to thank for all the feedback here. Because I now do realize the article starts with a high premise but fails short. Will do a better job next time! What I meant to talk about is as follows: we have engineered away all sorts of discomfort from our lives and I think that's bad. So (1) be aware of this, (2) seek some discomfort, and (3) if you run into discomfort, take it in a positive way (this I didn't convey in the article). But yeah I don't mean to say chop of your limbs! Not sure how people are reaching that conclusion. Thanks HN!
AntiRemoteWork 4y ago
[dead]
eBombzor 4y ago
This article is so funny. I thought we as a society already went through this phase like 5 years ago? Toxic productivity as they call it. Also, I read David Goggins book and to my surprise it was much deeper and much more meaningful than what you would expect with all these productivity gurus misusing quotes from his book. If you can get past the vulgar language I recommend you pick it up.
adversaryIdiot 4y ago
To me, this article reads like it was written by an inexperienced blogger who probably checked off 'stoicism' of their list of popular topics to write about, despite the fact they don't know much about stoicism. That being said, I feel like the article fails to drive anything meaningful. Thats not to say stoicism is pointless. There are many people in the discussion here that bring up great points about stoicism. As for myself, I don't know much more than the pop culture basics of stoicism so I can really give any further guidance.
pengaru 4y ago
After reading some of the comments here I didn't bother reading the article. Just wanted to mention on the subject of being uncomfortable: I've slept on the floor for decades, initially just to avoid wasting space on a bed in my bedroom while still living at home. But this increasingly became apparent as preventative of waking up with back pains which I'd experience whenever deviating from the floor at friends' homes or hotels, so I just kept doing it. It's not cozy or comforting, it's just dull but I'm so used to it that it's fine. Eventually it became clear that by sleeping on the floor I had unintentionally made getting up easier. It's not a comfort trap like the soft cozy beds I used to sleep on. This effect became very apparent when I started doing pushups every morning. When I'm already on the floor from where I slept, it's a very short (dis)comfort delta from where I was to where I want to be when what I want is doing pushups on the floor. I'm already on the hard floor; just put away the blankets and pillow and bust out a set then get on with the day. There's no substantial comfort debt to dig myself out of first... Since experiencing this I've started becoming more conscious of limiting comforts and making them more intentionally used when necessary. It pays in dividends to be a bit tougher across the board. Maximizing comfort continuously is tantamount to coddling yourself constantly, that's what we do to spoil babies.
- P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
  I've often wondered if sleeping on the floor is better for your back. Because of how poor I grew up, I slept on the floor for most of my life until I went to college and started doing it again after college. Of course sleeping with someone else means sleeping in beds again, but I can generally sleep on a floor just fine. Most people will end up complaining about aches and pains when they do. I don't have any evidence for or against it, but I personally generally feel better when sleeping on the floor.
  - pengaru 4y ago
    IMO thinking about the nonuniform distribution of mass on the body, it becomes apparent that the heavier areas want to sink deeper into a squishy surface than the rest, assuming a uniform firmness distribution of mattress. So less dense areas of the body are being pressed upward while the rest tries to sink lower, putting all sorts of awkward deformations and strain into the spine, depending on orientation. For me there's an ideal amount of deformation and that's on the order of a thick rug or yoga mat, just to distribute the load slightly at points of contact (and some thermal insulation). Japanese tatami mats are pretty good since they're basically just slightly compliant breathable floor panels which helps with heat/humidity issues. As long as my mid section and extremities that don't generally get any propping up on a flat floor can remain unelevated vs. the sinking rest I don't seem to ever have any back problems. One thing that's surprised me is how little thickness is required for it to become an issue. Even sleeping on a birth in my buddy's sailboat without removing the ~2-3" foam cushion can cause me back aches come morning. Remove the cushion and sleep on the underlying bare wood instead? Zero problems, reproduced numerous times over the years. I hear you re: sleeping with someone else. It's been a sticking point in my past relationships. But for me especially the older I get, I definitely value my physical health, fitness, and lack of chronic pain far more than having a partner to share a bedroom with. It's an easier path to choose without want for children...

64 points by madiator 4y ago

I dunno if I agree with this premise. Some comforts are illusionary but others are not, and once you lose them they are gone, and you will forever live in discomfort.

TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
Like what?
- nverno 4y ago
  I'm also curious what OP had in mind. The only thing I came up with was irreversible physical/mental damage.
  - alocasia-1 4y ago
    Credit score (I kid)
  - P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
    I know several people who live in pain every day due to their back, one cannot sit basically at all, and they all must constantly change position to manage the pain. Imagine not being able to finish a netflix movie in 1 sitting. They manage it because they have to.
marginalia_nu 4y ago
It may be uncomfortable, but you will be free. Taken to the extreme, it grants you a sort of freedom that can't be taken away. You can't compel a man who has nothing they're not willing to give up.
- Applejinx 4y ago
  Is the purpose sitting there passively saying 'ya, you can't make me do anything' or are you going to do something with that? :)
  - Mezzie 4y ago
    An example from my life is that I'm very hard to bully/persuade to let things go/get to accept bad decisions. Usually, the impetus behind shutting up and going along is that speaking up will have ramifications on one's career. However, I have MS, which means I had to come to terms with possibly losing my career randomly no matter what I say or do. So it's not really something that can be held over me anymore. I'm way more stubborn post diagnosis because I promise you (whoever you are) are way less scary than the fact that I might wake up and never walk again. In my life this manifests through a willingness to speak up for those lower on the totem pole, to call people out on being manipulative assholes, and a willingness to take bolder decisions because I've been through worse, so come at me, bro.
- Mezzie 4y ago
  Be careful not to be willing to give up the tools needed to accomplish your goals, however. Freedom, like wealth and efficiency, can easily become its own end instead of the end to a healthy, fulfilling life.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

nicbou 4y ago

The article fell short for me. It didn't give a convincing reason for it, especially when the closing statement is "do it sometimes, but be smart about it". I read it thinking of the hustle culture people who associate cold showers and other performative discomfort to success, and wondered how they would read it. I seek discomfort when there is a significant payoff, some unique experience that's worth the pain. Risk eating something completely different, taking the slow route somewhere, talking to strangers, taking the road less travelled. Fortune favours the bold. It's ambivalent about people who take cold showers.

SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago
In order to grow, you should push at the edges of your comfort zone; nether staying entirely within the known, nor leaping put into the unknown and flailing wildly not knowing what is gong on. "cold showers" is a counter-example of this, it is "performative discomfort" as you say without a learning. Not all discomfort is productive in itself. Discomfort is a side effect that has other causes. But discomfort is an effect of this learning, even a marker: in the words of David Bowie, "If you feel safe in the area that you're working in, you're not working in the right area. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbnef_eXBM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbnef_eXBM
- superbaconman 4y ago
  Cold showers have very real effects on the human body. > Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neurochemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalize during the cold exposure. Cold causes their levels to stay elevated for some time and their ongoing effect after the exposure is to increase your level of energy and focus, which can be applied to other mental and/or physical activities. https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance/ https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure...

Incipient 4y ago

I'm not sure if the author really made a point here. Make yourself uncomfortable by choice, so you'll be able to tolerate it when, "chances are low" to quote, it comes around anyway? I'm not sure if "spending 1 minute in an ice bath" really drove it home. "I've given up takeaway during the week" or "I've stopped using my aircon" would be more...impactful? As it is, it comes across as comparing a cold bath to what undeveloped countries live in, which feels very naive.

simmerup 4y ago
It really has vibes like the pop song 'Common People'

Applejinx 4y ago

For someone who cites Seneca, this author sure doesn't seem to get stoicism. You could make yourself uncomfortable by donning a mail gauntlet and punching yourself in the face every thirty seconds until you die. So what? What good does that do for anybody, yourself included? It's this intensely epicurian take on stoicism. It's like, the purpose of becoming hard, tough, and a badass is to sit there enjoying that you are a hard, tough, stoic badass. What are you going to DO with that? Answer that question and I'll tell you what you are. If you have no answer, you just told ME what you are. Am I going to lose any sleep over that? Nah. What good would it do for me to be angry over some fool's self-absorption? If I have nothing better to do than fret over that, it's an indictment of me and I ought to attend to that lack in myself. Be uncomfortable if it serves a purpose. If, like Seneca, the purpose is 'not to get too out of touch with regular people', that's fine, if that matters to you. I play drums and lift weights. I don't like the weights, but when I sit down to play drums (or carry firewood etc) I'm not helpless thanks to the discomfort. Purpose transforms all this. Purpose is nice. It's the point of the exercise, not just sitting there contemplating your badassery.

code_runner 4y ago
Lifting weights has added so many little moments to my day to day where I say “wow that’s not as heavy as it looked”. I decided to prune a couple of trees in my front yard and haul the branches to the curb, not even a little sore the next day. I didn’t start with a particular purpose but I knew I wanted something a little different. Now when I go to the gym and it’s a day I’m just not into it, I drag myself in there anyways.
- giantg2 4y ago
  Are people supposed to get sore from dragging a couple limbs?
  - alex_sf 4y ago
    Considering the average fitness level of an adult in Western society, it's entirely likely.

thenerdhead 4y ago

Taleb makes a good point about philosopher kings like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, etc (those who lived much life of comfort due to riches). That they were kings before they were philosophers. Goggins on the other side grew up more like Epictetus. Where the philosophy drove them to sagehood/being kings of their own categories. This blog falls a bit short on what pain and suffering can do to a person. The whole stoicism movement is more akin to the myth of Sisyphus. Like Camus’s book: The struggle itself ... is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

giantg2 4y ago

If you're in actual pain (not just sore) after the gym, you're doing something wrong. Did I miss the point of the article? It seems like it skipped why someone is looking to get tough. Without that, I'm skeptical that sitting in an ice tub etc is really effective at making someone tough outside of that very specific scenario.

DrThunder 4y ago
[dead]

Throw4949 4y ago

> If you are in the US or any developed nation, chances are that your life is pretty comfortable.... you are sitting in a warm balmy room ... You have access to plenty of foods... water is nice and warm... we have access to tremendous amounts of energy... and there is a surplus of everything. Really? My experience is pretty much opposite. In "developing" nation I can afford pretty much anything. House heating, hot water, plenty of good food, car with plenty of gas... My parents in "developed nation" are freezing their asses for some stupid politics. Switching on hot water only briefly for quick showers. Supermarkets only have processed junk food. They can not afford car. Politicians are telling 70 year old woman to use bike in snow storm instead...

em-bee 4y ago
for someone working in IT with a high income that is probably true to an extent, but then there are other issues to deal with. where i am now, i can afford the things as you say, but to get there i have to content with a higher crime rate, corruption, horrible traffic, bad public transport, power outages, water that i need to at least boil before i can drink it, low quality products unless i get imported products which cost twice as much as where they come from. it certainly meets the definition of getting uncomfortable...

trabant00 4y ago

If you are in the US or any developed nation, chances are that you are working pretty hard to maintain your life style. So enjoy that warm balmy room, with hot chocolate in one hand and a mobile in another. This post sounds like a teenager who's just read Dune and thinks "Sardaukar tough but Fremen tougher".

mastax 4y ago

I agree that this blog is not very good at clearly arguing it's conclusion, though I do agree with it for three reasons. First intentional discomfort encourages you to pay attention to what your body is saying, and trains your willpower. It's easy to fall into a default state of being where impulses come up from your subconscious and you act on them without thinking. Doing uncomfortable things trains you to listen to your body tell you to not do something, and trains you to have the willpower to do it anyway. Second, discomfort helps you appreciate comfort. Hot cocoa in front of the fireplace is nice, but after a day of snowshoeing it's incredible. The fist meal you have after completing the Appalachian trail, whatever it is, will be the best meal of your life. Third, there is increasing evidence that certain types of physical discomfort improve health and longevity. Aerobic exercise is obvious and well supported. There is growing evidence that exposure to very hot and very cold temperatures improves longevity. There is also evidence that fasting helps as well. Keep in mind that "does X make you live longer" is a difficult question to answer in a scientifically rigorous manner. I'm on mobile or I'd link to some studies.

nicbou 4y ago
> Hot cocoa in front of the fireplace is nice, but after a day of snowshoeing it's incredible This makes a stronger point than the whole article. However, the reward for the discomfort wasn't just cocoa. Snowshoeing is hopefully also enjoyable. My point in a comment up there was that you should probably save discomfort for things that have some kind of payoff. Hiking is an excellent example of that.

madiator 4y ago

I am the author of the blog and I want to thank for all the feedback here. Because I now do realize the article starts with a high premise but fails short. Will do a better job next time! What I meant to talk about is as follows: we have engineered away all sorts of discomfort from our lives and I think that's bad. So (1) be aware of this, (2) seek some discomfort, and (3) if you run into discomfort, take it in a positive way (this I didn't convey in the article). But yeah I don't mean to say chop of your limbs! Not sure how people are reaching that conclusion. Thanks HN!

AntiRemoteWork 4y ago

[dead]

eBombzor 4y ago

This article is so funny. I thought we as a society already went through this phase like 5 years ago? Toxic productivity as they call it. Also, I read David Goggins book and to my surprise it was much deeper and much more meaningful than what you would expect with all these productivity gurus misusing quotes from his book. If you can get past the vulgar language I recommend you pick it up.

adversaryIdiot 4y ago

To me, this article reads like it was written by an inexperienced blogger who probably checked off 'stoicism' of their list of popular topics to write about, despite the fact they don't know much about stoicism. That being said, I feel like the article fails to drive anything meaningful. Thats not to say stoicism is pointless. There are many people in the discussion here that bring up great points about stoicism. As for myself, I don't know much more than the pop culture basics of stoicism so I can really give any further guidance.

pengaru 4y ago

After reading some of the comments here I didn't bother reading the article. Just wanted to mention on the subject of being uncomfortable: I've slept on the floor for decades, initially just to avoid wasting space on a bed in my bedroom while still living at home. But this increasingly became apparent as preventative of waking up with back pains which I'd experience whenever deviating from the floor at friends' homes or hotels, so I just kept doing it. It's not cozy or comforting, it's just dull but I'm so used to it that it's fine. Eventually it became clear that by sleeping on the floor I had unintentionally made getting up easier. It's not a comfort trap like the soft cozy beds I used to sleep on. This effect became very apparent when I started doing pushups every morning. When I'm already on the floor from where I slept, it's a very short (dis)comfort delta from where I was to where I want to be when what I want is doing pushups on the floor. I'm already on the hard floor; just put away the blankets and pillow and bust out a set then get on with the day. There's no substantial comfort debt to dig myself out of first... Since experiencing this I've started becoming more conscious of limiting comforts and making them more intentionally used when necessary. It pays in dividends to be a bit tougher across the board. Maximizing comfort continuously is tantamount to coddling yourself constantly, that's what we do to spoil babies.

P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
I've often wondered if sleeping on the floor is better for your back. Because of how poor I grew up, I slept on the floor for most of my life until I went to college and started doing it again after college. Of course sleeping with someone else means sleeping in beds again, but I can generally sleep on a floor just fine. Most people will end up complaining about aches and pains when they do. I don't have any evidence for or against it, but I personally generally feel better when sleeping on the floor.
- pengaru 4y ago
  IMO thinking about the nonuniform distribution of mass on the body, it becomes apparent that the heavier areas want to sink deeper into a squishy surface than the rest, assuming a uniform firmness distribution of mattress. So less dense areas of the body are being pressed upward while the rest tries to sink lower, putting all sorts of awkward deformations and strain into the spine, depending on orientation. For me there's an ideal amount of deformation and that's on the order of a thick rug or yoga mat, just to distribute the load slightly at points of contact (and some thermal insulation). Japanese tatami mats are pretty good since they're basically just slightly compliant breathable floor panels which helps with heat/humidity issues. As long as my mid section and extremities that don't generally get any propping up on a flat floor can remain unelevated vs. the sinking rest I don't seem to ever have any back problems. One thing that's surprised me is how little thickness is required for it to become an issue. Even sleeping on a birth in my buddy's sailboat without removing the ~2-3" foam cushion can cause me back aches come morning. Remove the cushion and sleep on the underlying bare wood instead? Zero problems, reproduced numerous times over the years. I hear you re: sleeping with someone else. It's been a sticking point in my past relationships. But for me especially the older I get, I definitely value my physical health, fitness, and lack of chronic pain far more than having a partner to share a bedroom with. It's an easier path to choose without want for children...