I think it's super weird how few Americans sleep in hammocks. I'm six years and counting into hammock sleeping, and everyone I tell is always just astonished.
The pros:
Cost. A low end hammock suitable for everyday sleeping will run you about $40. Hardware to hang it up will run you another $10. If you don't want to/can't drill holes in your walls, you need an $80 stand. $120, max.
Comfort. Hammocks have zero pressure points. I mean, actually none. You get a better night's sleep with less pain.
Hygiene. Hammocks are super easy to clean - throw them in the wash, then hang them back up to dry.
Space. When you're done sleeping, easily roll or tie your hammock up out of the way.
The cons:
Cold butt syndrome. The hammock alone won't keep you warm, and your body compresses any blankets you put under you. (The solution is to hang the blanket UNDER the hammock, which is called an under quilt.)
It is really hard to share a hammock. If you want to sleep (or engage in other... uh, activities that typically take place in a bed) with another human, a hammock doesn't work so hot. People will try to sell you "double" hammocks - they are liars. Unless you like sleeping with your partner literally on top of you, anyway.
Knee hyperextension. Because of the way that a hammock curves, it is possible for your knees to bend slightly backwards when you're on your back. Knees were not meant to do this, and it's a very unpleasant thing to wake up to. Hammock sleepers solve this by sleeping with knees bent, or with a pillow under their knees.
It is soooo much easier to set up camp with hammocks, too. No tent, no poles, just two trees, two straps, a ridge line, and four stakes (for your rain fly.) That's literally it. We've made camp in less than fifteen minutes before.
The questions:
Won't you fall out? No. Gathered end hammocks (the type you want for sleeping) wrap you like a cocoon. Unless you can roll UP and over the side of your hammock, you will not fall out.
Isn't that bad for your body? Not as far as I can tell. I did quite a bit of research before committing to this, and everything was neutral to positive. Please feel free to do your own research.
I tried it before and it didn't work, what did I do wrong? Probably a bad hang. You need a gathered-end, Mayan, or Brazilian style hammock (the kind WITHOUT a spreader bar), and you should hang it such that it dips about 35 degrees below horizontal when occupied. You should also try to sleep diagonally - head slightly off to one side, legs to the other - for the flattest sleeping surface.
I'm plus sized, will this work for me? Most hammocks and stands are rated for around 350 pounds. (Some of the camping and backpacking ones are a bit less.) It's possible to find ones that go up to about 450. I know they make them for large animals (bears, gorillas, big cats), but short of that I think 450 is about the max.
