Natural Minimalism – Why I Sleep On A Futon

I used to dream of sleeping on the floor. I don’t know what it was about it that drew me in, but somehow it did. I felt calmer and happier when I slept on the floor. It felt safer compared to sleeping in a bed and it was somehow cosier. More familiar.

Even though all my family members had beds growing up, and I did too, there was always this feeling of familiarity when I slept on the floor. Like this feeling of, “I’ve missed this.” Perhaps it was simply how I used to sleep in one of my previous lives.

Japanese culture

I started reading manga in my teens and that is where my interest in Japanese culture began. Since I was a kid, I had always been drawn to China as well as Egypt. I liked the way their letters were pictures that told a story. Art and emotion could be found within each character. So it wasn’t that big of a leap to find myself interested in Japanese culture and later South Korean culture as well.

As a teenager, I used to frequent the international library in Stockholm and read children’s books in other languages. Usually Japanese and Spanish. It was like entering another world and I loved it. I studied Spanish in school and I studied Chinese briefly in my early twenties. I have studied Japanese on my own on and off for years. I can’t say what my level is, but I can understand a fair bit while listening to others or when watching Japanese movies. I just haven’t had anyone to practice conversing with, and I think that’s something you need to become truly proficient in any language.

Japanese furniture

In my first home, I had a kotatsu. I really enjoyed sitting by the kotatsu to work, read and eat. And it was so cozy in the winter. I often took naps while lying under it.

I had to get rid of it when the heater broke because it would’ve cost more to replace it than to get a new one in the future. And at the time I was in the middle of a move. Unfortunately that’s how many things are made today. They aren’t made to last and fixing them has become more expensive than buying another one new. It’s odd and anything but sustainable. So I have decided to get a kotatsu of a higher quality next time. One with a wooden table and a heater that can be changed or upgraded easily.

For many years I slept on a futon sofa, but not the kind you’re thinking. It was a wooden sofa with an actual futon on top. The armrests of the sofa could be folded down and then the sofa turned into a bed. The futon could also be lifted off the sofa and be used on the floor, but I never used it that way. I alternated between sleeping on the sofa and sleeping on an air mattress for a few years.

During the pandemic, I experienced a flare up. Stress isn’t great for anyone, but even less so for those who already have health issues. Sleeping on a futon was at some point recommended to me, and I decided it was time to make the shift. Given my interest in Japanese culture and sustainability, I wanted to find a traditional Japanese futon made from sustainable materials.

I found a company in Tokyo that sold such futons, and I ordered my futon from them. They were so kind, polite and reliable that I have decided that I will purchase my kakefuton from them as well. A kakefuton is essentially a duvet/comforter, but thicker.

The benefits of sleeping on a futon

I’ve slept on my futon for years now, and it still brings me joy every single day. Folding it up in the morning, laying it out in the evening, airing it on sunny days – I love it all. It smells like sunshine when you sleep on it after it has been aired out, and it is so fluffy that it feels like you’re resting on a cloud.

I have less pain in my neck and shoulders and my joints feel so much better sleeping on the futon. When I have experienced joint pain or had injuries, they’ve healed quicker sleeping on the futon. It’s like it stabilises the back and all the major joints. At least for me.

I’ve slept on beds and air mattresses a few times while travelling and I can honestly say that sleeping on them was downright painful. It felt like my body was breaking. And after just a few nights, or even the first night, I began to miss my futon.

It took a little while to get used to it since I’d slept on a bed mattress for years and a futon is on average 7.5 cm thick. But as soon as my body got used to it, I was sold. For my mental and physical health and for my joints, it has been the best purchase.

When I have the space, I’d like to have two tatami mats underneath the futon. During the day, I can use them for yoga and meditation.

Mental health

• When you’re in a bad place, making the bed can become a huge ordeal. It never feels that way with the futon and sticking to that routine gives a sense of accomplishment.
• The routines involving the futon are meditative and invite calm and gratitude into your life, which helps with stress and mental health.
• Better sleep leads to more energy and less anxiety and depression.
• More space and less clutter in your bedroom reduces stress.
• The simplicity of the futon can help reduce anxiety and improve focus.

Physical health

• Great for spine and joint health.
• Less pain.
• Better mobility.
• Fewer headaches.
• No more neck pain from sleeping in a bad position.

The daily routine

I get up and fold my duvet, weight blanket and the futon. I use my dustpan set to clean the floor. Then I proceed to get ready for the day. Sometimes I do yoga and sometimes I just meditate.

In the evening I use my dustpan set and then I meditate, drink water and I take my supplements. I roll out the futon, place the duvet over it and lay the weight blanket on top. I do my yoga, meditate and then I get under the covers and read until I am tired enough to sleep.

Have you ever slept on a futon?

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