I'm the same way. Gathered end or bridge or tent! However the bridge hammock is the easiest. Any time we sleep outdoors it seems to take me HOURS to fall asleep. Much to my families frustration I'm a very light sleeper at home too. (And I work rotating shifts).
Typically I'll take Tylenol PM on trips to help knock me out. Following.
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I'm laying in my ridgerunner right now and tried laying on my stomach. Eh...I guess it could be done. Brandon has a 60(?) day return policy if it doesn't work out. Mine is still in that timeframe. I'm waiting for my lynx under quilt to show up to make my final decision.
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Tired. I needed to be really tired first. I'm usually a side sleeper, and in a bed, I would toss and turn one side to the other all night long. Starting out in a hammock I needed to be tired enough to fall asleep on my back. Near morning, I'll roll to one side, then a little later to the other, then I'm rested and ready to get up.
It was worth the retraining
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Rotating shifts are the worst possible combination of all the shift options. I know the theory: no one complains that they aren't on first shift, and oh, by the way, this means we get to avoid paying out a shift differential too. The reality is that NOBODY sleeps well, and it messes up all of the employees sleep patterns, not to mention family lives.Originally Posted by Andy "Bull" Bullock
This is most likely the reason you don't sleep well: You're constantly worried you won't wake up on time for work, even when you don't have work
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Andy,
I appreciate the pictures of you in your ridgerunner. Unfortunately, it doesn't look all that comfortable. Maybe it just me though. I'm usually not a light sleeper, and the outdoors don't bother me at all. I always bring Benadryl (the same active ingredient as Zzzquil) to help me sleep. Unfortunately, by the time it really sets in after all the tossing and turning, it's maybe a few hours before the sun comes up.
I'm usually exhausted when it comes time to call it a night. Usually tired enough to initially fall asleep on my back. But shortly after..maybe an hour if I'm lucky, I'm wide awake tossing and turning trying to get comfortable.Tired. I needed to be really tired first. I'm usually a side sleeper, and in a bed, I would toss and turn one side to the other all night long. Starting out in a hammock I needed to be tired enough to fall asleep on my back. Near morning, I'll roll to one side, then a little later to the other, then I'm rested and ready to get up.
It was worth the retraining
I tried an REI 2.5" campbed (self inflating pad) in a double-layered WBBB one night and that worked pretty well. It's an awkward mat to backpack with, but it adds a delightful layer of cushion that an underquilt never will.It amkes it more bed-like. It was one of the few nights in a hammock where i slept more than 4 hours. Maybe worth a try if you can borrow one.
I'm actually thinking about buying exactly that. I've tried a thin blue ccf pad, but that offered little to no help. Did it help to flatten out the hammock? Was it difficult to stay on?
More on that: On a WBBB, it just barely fits in between the layers with a diagonal lay. This only works if you have a double layered hammock. I've tried on a single layer 12' hammock, and it absolutely will not sit still. Two layers traps it in place and keeps it from squirming.
When half-inflated in a hammock, it feels like a lay-z-boy made out of clouds. It's also very warm. It eliminates all calf-ridge problems and pressure point discomfort.
Problems: It's going to twist. It isn't going to give a magically flat lay. I found that my shoulder would end up slightly off the mat and get cold at times. Not 100% coverage like an UQ. So you may end up with the far corners poking out sideways and a tendency to roll into a very specific spot. That's fine. With a couple of benadryl and a few shots of whiskey, it's fine. Everything is fine.
It's also heavy of course. Something like ~4+ lbs and takes up most of your pack. It was fun though.
So again, i recommend borrowing or being able to return if it doesn't work out.
Have you tried melatonin instead of Benadryl? It's a synthetic version of the hormone that makes us tired. It's available over the counter. When on a trip I normally take one for the first few nights, until I adjust. I'm also a stomach and side sleeper at home.
I find that the change to a hammock is both a psychological and physiological one. It helps to be really tired from physical activity, but even then it used to take me several days to adjust to the hammock, and sleeping half on my side. Now I adjust in just a night or two. (Sometimes a little meditation helps also, to keep my mind from racing!)
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