The Maya and other indigenous peoples crafted hammocks out of tree bark or plant fibers. Suspended beds prevented contact with the dirty ground and offered protection from snakes, rodents and other poisonous or simply pesky creatures.

Christopher Columbus was introduced to the hamaca (hammock) during his travels at the end of the 15th Century by the Taino Indians, a Haitian tribe. It has been always thought that Columbus and his men became the first Europeans to glimpse—and perhaps experience—the hammock when they noticed their widespread use in the Bahamas. They brought several examples of the woven sleeping nets back to Spain. Hammocks actually dates back more than 1,000 years ago to Central America, far before Columbus was alive.

The word Hammock comes from a Taíno culture Arawakan word (Haiti) meaning "fish net".

A study conducted by a team of Swiss researchers found that a swinging motion synchronizes brain waves, allowing people to doze off faster and attain a deeper state of sleep. Their results also support the ancient—and still very much alive—tradition of rocking children to sleep. Hammocks totally Rock our World!

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