Did you know even famous explorer Christopher Columbus enjoyed joining the ancient cultures who enjoyed sleeping on hammocks. Columbus allegedly described the experience as resting on “sleeping nets between trees.” The hammocks of Central America many eons ago kept our human ancestors away from the dangerous spiders and snakes hung out on jungle floors after dark. They still do.
While much of this danger no longer applies, hammocks offer extreme comfort for resting or sleeping. According to numerous anthropologists, hammocks used in Central America date back as far as 700 years. Today, hammocks are wonderful, relaxing ways to read, study, or just relax. You’ll be forgiven if you take a nap, while relaxing in a super comfortable hammock. But, why is a hammock beneficial to your health? Please, pay attention to the following.
Hammocks Are Good for Your Health Because . . .
1. They’re immediately relaxing, while improving your brain activity.
Hammock use links to improved cognition and reduces learning disabilities. As you sway in a hammock, your brainwaves become stronger.
2. They are good for your back.
Since they include no pressure points, your vertebrae align properly, avoiding common back pain and discomfort, since your head and back bones are aligned as they should be.
3. They’re proven to reduce stress and your blood pressure.
Stress is inherent in today’s busy schedules, whether it’s caused by workplaces or family responsibilities. As relaxing in hammocks reduces your overall stress level, your blood pressure will also go down.
4. Sleeping in a hammock can eliminate insomnia.
When you use hammocks for naps (whether you plan for them or not), you’ll enjoy the deep sleep you get, which helps you get similar sleep when you retire to your bed in the evening, reducing or eliminating regular insomnia. You’ll also find your mood, when you awaken, improved over your mood before your hammock nap.
5. Hammocks offer an ideal sleeping position.
Since hammocks have no rigid frame (like a bed), the hammock adapts to your preferred sleeping position. Those of you who prefer a “hard” mattress are wrong to dismiss this hammock benefit, as hard surfaces have proven to be uncomfortable for many sleepers, who constantly search for a comfortable position.
Conclusion
Hammocks are super comfortable and deliver the noted health benefits. In addition, hammocks and hanging chairs deliver multiple benefits, not related to the direct physical health benefits noted previously. Hammocks are portable, you can take them anywhere, while they provide immediate relaxation for your body and your mind.
The benefits of hammocks far outweigh any downsides, which are few, if any. You don’t even need cooperative tree branches in your yard, since you can install a personal or family-sized hammock utilizing a strong base.
