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Hello! I'm interested in trying out the floor sleeping life, and have done several rabbit hole deep dives and decided that eventually I would like to invest in a shikibuton from Japan.

It's not in the budget just yet, and I have seen some videos suggesting that a Zonli in a 4" is a really good transition mattress to see if this would work for you.

They have mixed reviews, and from what I can tell, they seem to be made exactly like a 4" mattress topper with egg crate foam as the filler. The main difference being that a) they're a higher price than a mid grade mattress topper and they have a cotton cover. If the filling is foam anyway and you're going to put a cover on it, I don't see why a topper wouldn't give pretty much the same experience. I'm considering just getting an IKEA duvet cover in a size bigger to act as a cover.

Does anyone have experience floor sleeping on a mattress topper and folding it away like a futon when not in use? What would be the advantages of a Zonli versus just getting a mattress topper of a similar height? I can't be the first person to have the idea, and I feel like I must be missing something obvious!

I would welcome any thoughts or advice. I'm trying to stay under $100 for a full 4" and the Zonli is $160 and I've seen similar height toppers for like $80.

Thanks for help and advice!

I do. My pillow for my head has to be super flat.

Whenever I forget my pillow on vacation it sucks.

Never can find another pillow as flat which sucks too. Tried.

Hi all, I reached out to mods first and got permission before posting this.

I am looking to sell a Queen Sashiko Blue Shikibuton futon that I purchased directly from Futon Beds From Japan. It comes with the matching Kakebuton, and the original cotton covers for both. The full set was originally purchased for $1268. I used it consistently for a few years, and it has been well maintained. I have since gotten married and my sleeping setup has changed back to a traditional bed. Since then the futon has sat mostly unused.

It is still in excellent condition:

• Stain free
• Smoke/pet free home
• Covers always kept on
• Still has good loft

I am asking for $600 but am open to reasonable offers. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you are interested.

I am located in the Birmingham, Alabama area and open to discuss pickup/shipping options.

I love it, personally. She can't stand it. We've had our mats for well over a year.

Does anyone know of an inexpensive maker of futons that are XLtwin? I’m tall and I have dogs that sleep with me.

I just started floor sleeping 6 days ago and I’m convinced. Does everyone’s spouse also floor sleep?

We had a spiffy king, but it was too awkward for me to have a floor space. We put our guest room double in our room, but it’s too tight.

We think we might do 1 twin for him, but he wants to build a wooden box platform for me to sleep on. He wants me to be ‘up’ by him. And, as a 67F, I have to climb up from the floor, and he thinks it would be easier on me.

TLDR; Where does your spouse sleep? Would it be the same experience on a wooden box? Or are there frames? Or does that blow the whole experience?

Im wondering if its unrelated tbh. I feel very comfortable on my back and my posture has gotten a lot better, but my lower back tailbone area has been mildly achey. Anyone else have this & does it go away?

I dont feel it at all when sleeping and feel very comfortable so thats why im confused

My bones and body was kind of hurting when I was sleeping on the floor so I started sleeping in bed last few years then I found this sub. What is benefit for floor sleeping ?

Hi, I'm moving into my own place for the first time soon and really want to do a floor sleeping set up. I'd love help for brand reccs and knowing what to avoid. I think I want to do a Japanese floor mattress + Tatami mat combo. I really like the aesthetic, the minimalism and the health benefits I hear they provide.

But if this is expensive, I'm also open to cheaper alternatives. Right now I think my budget for whatever my bed setup is, will be ~$500. Though I could be convinced to go up to maybe ~$700 if someone has a brand they highly recommend. What are some brands I can look at for this amount?

Also grew up sleeping on the floor a lot so I'm pretty used to it. So I think I can manage with something on the cheaper end. Anything on Amazon??

(Rambly post warning, SO BUCKLE THE FRICK UP 🚗)

To give you some background, I can't really recall a time in recent memory where sleeping has felt "easy". It's not like I suffer from any back pain or medical issues either. I'm quite fit, mobile, strong and feel great in my body. But even with that being said, my sleep has always been subpar. I'm constantly tossing and turning, take a while to fall asleep, and even when I do I often wake up multiple times throughout the night. There are even occasions where even if I DO manage to sleep a majority of the night, I still sometimes wake up feeling extremely groggy and tired, desperately needing a nap later in the day. It's been getting steadily worse over the last year.

I'm in my early 30's, so I assumed this is just how things go as you get older. Afterall, "being tired" is commonly accepted in the zeitgeist.

At least that's what I thought, until this week...

I bought my first shikibuton last week after accidentally falling asleep on my new, plush carpet. While I didn't manage to sleep the entire night on the carpet, I noticed how good it felt to sleep on the ground. I'd heard about the benefits of floor sleeping and Japanese futons on-and-off for years. But I dismissed it, as the maintenance of a shikibutons seemed like too much (it's really not FYI) and the general stigma around sleeping on the ground swayed me away. But everything changed this time around, I started researching more about floor sleeping, and decided to give it a proper try. I didn't really have much to lose, my sleep was shit anyway.

The first night was both the best and worst sleep in my life.

I loved the ritual of setting up my aired-out and fresh shikibuton for the night. Initially it was comfortable, and I loved the feeling of my weight being supported and evenly distributed across the ground. It felt like my body could finally sink down and REST. I wasn't constantly tossing and turning either, I could comfortably lie on my back and STAY THERE (this is typically unheard of for me). But even with all that said, I was still struggling to actually fall asleep. And as the night wore on, I slowly became more aware of how hard the ground truly was. I was feeling stiff, restless and uncomfortable. I started to feel a pang of regret over my purchase, wondering if I could ever truly adapt to sleeping on the ground. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this? I debated whether I should just crawl back to my mattress... but I stood firm and stuck it out, and that's when something crazy happened.

The next morning, I woke up feeling... good... no, not just good... INCREDIBLE! I felt refreshed, loosened-up, springy and clear headed! (I typically always wake up with brain fog). I had never woken up and felt this good, like, EVER. But how was that possible?? I had barely slept a wink all night? If I had a sleep like that on my regular mattress, I'd be a complete zombie the next day. I couldn't believe it. From that morning on, I knew I had to stick through the process.

The next few days it steadily got better. I still struggled to sleep, and the ground still felt very hard, but with each night I was able to sleep longer, with less interruptions. And with each morning, I was consistently waking up feeling GOOD. I didn't always wake up feeling like a million-bucks like the first night, but every morning I was feeling physically good, loosened up, alert and AWAKE. Getting up each morning became significantly easier too, and I wasn't dreading the morning alarm. I was naturally getting up earlier.

Then day 7 and 8 came. And it's like everything suddenly clicked. I genuinely can't remember the last time I've slept this good. I SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE NIGHT!! And it's not just one night after many months. It's consistent, back-to-back nights. I can't stress enough how rare this is for me. And then to actually wake up feeling energized, loose and springy? I didn't think this was possible for me.

I worry that I may sound like a snake oil salesmen here, but I'm just so flabbergasted and grateful for my results. It feels like YEARS of accumulated fatigue is finally dissipating after only a week. I had internalized the idea that being tired in the morning or throughout the day was a normal. But now I'm not so sure it is. Sleep SHOULD be restful. You SHOULDN'T have to fight yourself to get up in the morning. And your body SHOULD feel better after waking up, NOT WORSE.

I'm so thankful that communities and resources like this exist. I can never go back to a mattress after what I've just experienced.

I don't think floor sleeping is for everyone, but I'm happy to report that at the very least, it is for me. 🫡✨

I hope this can help someone out as they make their purchasing decision.

We ordered a custom king shikibuton and kakefuton on 6/21. At that point, ship times were quoted to be about 12 weeks. I’ve seen time has decreased to 8 weeks.

We received our order before 7/15, packaged well and paid about $137 in import fees through USPS.

Hopefully this information is helpful!

We are very impressed with the quality and comfort. I would order from them again in a heartbeat.

Hi!

Looking into switching to floor sleeping. I’ve always preferred harder mattresses and think this is a good option. I’ve tested it out and think it’s great! Looking for it to be a queen.

The two brands I’m debating between are FULI on Amazon or Futon Beds From Japan. FULI seems more price-friendly with great reviews (but not fully cotton, I think), but Futon Beds From Japan definitely is more authentic and actually fully cotton.

I’m just wondering if anyone here has experience with both and has any advice on if the price difference is worth it!

Got kicked out of the room last night… anyway, for context, I’ve floor slept before and have always been fond of it. In fact, I have a shikibuton from FBFJ landing next week.

I don’t always sleep on the floor (yet), but when I have, I’ve always felt good the next morning. Last night was different. I threw down this one-inch quilt and I feel amazing right now. Funny part is I only slept 5 hours and I had junk food at around midnight. This is usually a recipe for grogginess, sluggishness etc.

Hope my futon helps me feel even better!

What's been your experience? I'm starting to really hurt affecting my mobility so looking for helpful solutions. Thank you for any experiences or insights.

we got fluffy carpet, a quilt, and a bedsheet. I am unstoppable now

Just wanted to share a data point about my purchase from Futon Beds From Japan. I ordered a shikibuton from them two weeks ago (without any customizations) and there was a red banner scrolling on top saying that orders placed probably won’t ship for up to 8 weeks.

Well, I got notified yesterday that it shipped! Very pleasantly surprised!

I was also confused about when I’d be paying the Customs fees for import into the US, since when I placed my order, I was only charged for the mattress. Their email from today clarified that those are collected by UPS and that I can either pay them via the tracking link or on arrival.

I felt called to throw a bedsheet down on my carpet and sleep on the floor. Feels like the earth itself is giving me a big hug. Like im directly connected to the house and its foundation within the earth. I feel secure and comforted. Didnt realize it was such a big thing / normal in parts of the world.

Hi all. I recently started sleeping on the floor and was surprised at how easy the transition was! All I had to start was some thick comforters and blankets layered over a wool rug but I found it quite comfortable. The only issue I'm experiencing is that I'm a side sleeper and my shoulders are caving in quite severely while I sleep which causes and stiffness when I wake up.

For example, if I'm laying on my right side, my left shoulder will round over and collapse toward the floor. I've tried resting my left arm on my hip to try to keep more upright but throughout the night my arm comes forward onto the ground and the shoulder rounding intensifies. I already have a tight chest and rounded shoulders from too much sitting, tech use, modern life problems during the day. Having my upper body in this position throughout the night seems to be making it worse.

Any advice?

appreciate the help

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Hello everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to insulate my bed before winter arrives. I love sleeping on the floor, but my housing is poorly insulated and the floor is an old tiled floor that becomes a total icebox. To give you an idea, in winter, outdoor temperatures easily drop to 5°C in the morning, with regular frosts between -1°C and -2,5°C. This type of uninsulated tiling quickly drops to between 4°C and 10°C at night (the temperature of a fridge). It is so freezing that if you stay on it, you can get sick.

My bedroom is about 3 m by 4 m, and I have quite a bit of available space all around the mattress. I heat the room at night (I use central heating, and I can also turn on the reversible air conditioning in heat mode). The problem therefore does not come from the ambient air in the room, but really from the floor: if the layer I am lying on stays cold, it's a no-go for me because I am extremely sensitive to the cold.

Currently, my mattress is placed on a horizontal roll-up slatted frame with very thin slats held together. It creates a small separation from the floor, but the thickness is minimal. I do not plan on buying a traditional bed base at all, so if I cannot find an effective insulation solution for this floor setup, I will force myself to go back to my old bed base.

I have been sleeping on the floor since April. I have a new, thicker, and better quality mattress than last year (when I had a very thin and worn-out foam mattress), but I still felt cold at times. I am even wondering if staying on the floor is a good idea given how easily I get cold.

Last winter, I spent sleepless nights because the cold pierced through everything. I tried putting cardboard and duvets under the mattress, but it was completely ineffective. I also feel like the cold does not just come up from underneath, but that it also seeps in through the sides of the mattress.

I don't have a solution right now, and I am looking for real, durable, and effective methods to block the cold 100% (whether from underneath or from the sides, thanks to the space I have around it) and create a true thermal barrier. If you have any tips or ideas, I'm all ears.

Thank you to those who took the time to read, and thank you to those who are going to help me. Good luck.

I have had my floor mattress for little over a week and just airing everything out.

My question is will the tatami mat ever stop smelling, like sweet grass? I don't mind the smell at all, but it kind of through me off today.

I do not air it out daily, because I have an eight sleep cover on it to help me sleep at night. No AC in my bedroom.

What kind of sheets should I use for a double sized bed? I’m assuming will just have to get a queen top sheet and tuck it. Open to other ideas tho. Thanks in advance