Last year, I was exhausted. Between being a mum of four, being a wife to my brilliant husband, maintaining my social life, exercising, and work, I felt like all I did was rush from one thing to the next. Even the things that I did for my own health, like moving my body, had blended into the stress and chaos of daily life.
When I realised how exhausted I was, physically and mentally, I wanted to do something simple but radical, just for myself. That’s where the idea to sleep on my (carpeted) living room floor came from. It seemed like such a simple way to change up my routine and add some novelty to a part of the day I otherwise felt like I was just rushing to get over and done with: must get to sleep, so that I can get to tomorrow, and start ticking more things off my list.
Over on Strong Like Mum, calm and wellbeing is the top priority. If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, here is a breathing exercise to help activate the parasympathetic nervous system (just like floor sleeping did for me!):
There are also plenty of great anti-anxiety workouts available on the channel, too.
I wondered what it would be like to strip away all of the usual associations I had with going to bed, like my bedframe, mattress, duvet, nightstand, and, perhaps most notably, my phone, charging away next to me? After all, floor sleeping is a centuries-old tradition in many cultures, most notably in Japan, Korea, and Singapore, where thin mattresses are rolled out onto the floor in the evening and stored away during the day.
The first night, I was struck by how calm and peaceful it was even before I’d lay down. Clearing the space at the end of the day, laying out the three blankets on the floor – it was exactly like routines I had gotten so used to doing for other people. But now, I was doing it for me.
I lay down on my back and took some deep breaths. I could feel immediately that the weight of my body was more evenly distributed. It was quiet, and I felt soothed by the amount of open space around me. There was no clutter, no distracting screens or objects reminding me of something I’d meant to do that day.
I put my hands on my lower stomach so that I could truly feel the depth of each breath, and touched my caesarean scar, feeling completely connected to my body and to the floor beneath me. Once I had gotten used to being on my back, I turned to my side, and found it surprisingly comfortable, and then: I fell asleep. Because I left the curtains open, when the sunlight streamed in in the morning, I woke up naturally with the sunrise.
Floor-sleeping has lots of benefits: cooler air, better posture, better spinal alignment, helping with back pain. At first, I didn’t use a pillow, but eventually I needed the support for my neck alignment. But for me, the biggest change was emotional and spiritual.
I felt like I had unlocked some secret hack. I loved it so much and found it so restorative that I ended up sleeping on the floor for another six weeks (by the fourth, my husband started to, slightly sheepishly, question when I might be coming back to sleep in the bedroom).
I was much more productive at work and calmer going about my day-to-day: I felt like I had superpowers. Stepping off that wheel and creating this little space and time to do something quiet and peaceful, I realised how much nonsense people talk, or how endlessly busy everyone is. It also made me feel closer to the earth, and reminded me that I’m just an animal. It felt like soul food.
What I loved about it was the simplicity. There’s so much readily available to us, anytime we need it. If I’m hungry, I’m not just hungry; I have the luxury of wondering what I feel like eating. There’s so much choice everywhere.
Ultimately, we are modern-day people, and I love my bed, and I love my partner, so it was nice to go back. But it stayed a strong reminder that we don’t need all the things people try to sell us. So many of the things that our body desperately needs are readily available, like fresh air and green spaces. Movement, exercise, and calm. That’s why stripping away all the details of my bedtime routine to the most simple elements – floor, blankets, pillow – helped so much.
It made me realise that reaching burnout isn’t a badge of honour. You do actually need to take care of yourself if you want to have the longevity to do everything you want to do. And I can go back anytime, and I will, if I’m ever really stressed again. Some people might do yoga; some do deep breathing exercises. I would sleep on the floor.
For more evidence-based postnatal recovery advice, pelvic floor education and realistic fitness guidance for women navigating motherhood and midlife, subscribe to Strong Like Mum on YouTube.