Last Updated on September 25, 2022 by
Napping on the sofa offers a different atmosphere to what your body is used to within the bedroom. The couch is located in the most popular places within your home, which can increase your comfort levels. Unlike the bedroom, which is dark and isolated, the sitting room conveys a sense of family, care, and relaxation.
The bedroom and mattress are all built to make sleeping better and more comfortable. And although you may sleep better on a couch, it might expose you to backaches, neck pains, and many more. Simply put, a couch is not always the most suitable location to sleep. However, most times, one will pass out unknowingly and have a decent nap.
You should try and figure out what makes sleeping on your couch better than sleeping in your bedroom. Once you figure this out, you can replicate it in your bedroom. If replication does not have the same outcomes, you should improve the sleeping conditions on the couch. You can incorporate a few things on your couch to make it better for you to nap or sleep at night. A better couch or better cushions can come in handy.
Why Is Falling Asleep On The Sofa Easy? (pros)
Falling asleep on a sofa is easier for many people. There is no trick to it, but there is something psychological within us without our knowledge. The feeling of comfort and mentally knowing that the couch is not necessarily a place to sleep have some effect. The main factors that make you fall asleep easily on a sofa are:
1. Environment
The environment you choose to sleep in can have positive and negative effects. The bedroom can be as too warm or cold at times. The extreme temperature on either end can inhibit you from getting adequate or good enough sleep. The living room can have better sleeping conditions than your bedroom. On the couch, you can have a light throw covering you.
A throw will keep you warm but not too warm and keep the cold away. On the bed, the covers might cause a lot of heat, causing a disturbance, and making it difficult for you to fall asleep.
2. Elevation
When on the couch, you can easily fall asleep because your head is well elevated than on the bed, which is much flatter. A pillow can help elevate your head on the bed, but the armrest on your couch feels different and is much higher. It can feel comfortable on the couch, but prolonged hours of your head and neck being elevated that higher can cause neck pains and even lower back pains.
3. Unawareness
In most instances, sleep creeps up on you without your knowledge. Moving from the sofa to the bed can almost instantly kill any chance of you continuing to doze off. The bedroom is where you should sleep. Anytime you get in bed, your brain and body already know what is about to happen. On the couch, you’re mentally aware that this isn’t the place to sleep, so when it does happen, it takes you by surprise, and the result is an excellent couple of hours of sleep.
4. A Feeling Of Inclusion And Background Noises
Background noises can assist you in dozing off faster. Couches are found in living rooms. In a house with more than one person, it can’t be quiet all day long. All these activities occurring within the living room can increase the chance of you falling asleep. For people with a fear of missing out, this gives them a sense of inclusion, and they find it easy to nod off on the couch regardless of the noise
Drawbacks Of Sleeping On The Sofa (cons)
Though some couches are made for sleeping, most are meant for sitting or casually laying on them. Mattresses and beds are made solely for sleeping on. So, despite the comfortable sleep on the couch, you should not overdo it.
Below are a few reasons you should not sleep on your sofa longer.
1. There Is Limited Space
No matter the dimensions of your couch, it will by no means fully accommodate you while you are sleeping. Its width or length will continually be an issue. Your bed has the right length to accommodate you as you stretch and the width for rolling and turning. The average person will shift their napping position unconsciously, at least once each hour. And a couch will always be restrictive, and also, you cannot shift positions as you would in a bed.
2. Back And Neck Pain
Frequently sleeping on your couch causes soreness in your back and neck. The couch is not made to offer comfort to your spinal alignment or support your neck. A bed gives your spine the most suitable position to loosen up and not bend or twist as you sleep.
For people who love napping on their stomachs, the sofa can be almost impossible to sleep on without experiencing sharp pains in the neck or back. With your head on the armrest, you can feel your neck twist to an almost impossible angle which can be painful.
Sleeping on your side is the go-to position on a couch. It is comfortable, and you can easily turn from sleeping on your right side to sleeping on your left side. The length from your shoulder to your neck is almost the same as the height of the armrest. This makes it easy on your neck joints, and you can sleep easily. However, prolonged hours will still strain the joints on your neck and back.
3. Unsuitable For Kids
Toddlers, unlike grown-ups, by no means recognize the risks of falling in their sleep. Even though a grown-up can still fall from the sofa, it isn’t always that common. Infants are very sensitive and can die right away once they fall from a couch. It is advisable to take your child to a bed when you notice them falling asleep.
4. You Cannot Bed-share On A Couch.
Most couches are 2 feet wide. The space is big enough to fit a single individual but can be difficult for people who enjoy bed-sharing. Even if the couch fits two people, it is very uncomfortable.
5. Disturbance
Couches are mainly located in your living room; it is the most visited room in a house. You can fall asleep, but the chances of someone walking in and unintentionally waking you up is very high. Also, when your couch is in the living room, people will be talking, or there will be a television making random noises. You can often fall asleep in a noisy room, but it is not going to be peaceful and quiet.
How Can You Improve Napping Situations To Your Couch?
When you figure out you get the best sleep on your sofa; you may put in measures to make sleeping better for you.
1. Get A Sleeper Couch
Sleeper couches fold out and offer you more space to sleep comfortably without the limited space on your normal couch. The mattress on such a sofa can be thinner than the one on your bed, but it is still as comfortable and eliminates the neck and backaches.
2. Switch The Tv Off
With the TV and the couch in the same room, sitting there and not having the TV on isn’t easy. However, if you plan to sleep on the couch, you should try and get comfortable with being on the couch and have the TV off. Televisions emit a blue light that increases your alertness and keeps you glued to the TV screen for long hours. This is why it is also advisable not to have a television in your bedroom.
3. Install Heavy Curtains To Reduce Light And Find A Way To Block Noises.
The living room is an area that has windows to increase the amount of natural light that comes in. If you intend to sleep on the couch in the living room, you should consider ways to reduce the amount of light coming in. Use heavy curtains to reduce the light coming in and earplugs to reduce noise.
4. Get The Right Pillows And Covers
A comfortable place to sleep is important. Certain pillows or cushions are better than others. Some may be very skinny, causing discomfort and no sleep or soreness.
If you are sleeping on the couch more often than not, you can have a throw and have it nearby just in case you start dozing off. The cover will protect you from getting cold and help preserve heat to keep you comfortable.
Final Thought
For many people, that nap on your couch is most times one of the best naps you may ever have in your home. It might seem strange for a place you are not meant to sleep to produce such results, but it is common for almost everyone. This is due to the friendly environment, elevation, unawareness, feeling of inclusion, and background noise.
References:
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-fall-asleep-quickly-on-couch-but-not-bed-2022-1
https://yoursapp.com/blog/why-do-i-sleep-better-on-the-couch-than-in-bed/
