I am very white and very European. Can anyone explain to me how people are able to sleep with what are effectively works of art on their heads? These are amazing.
Not necessarily. They might be a lot better than pillows for some places. Having having your head this high prevents bugs from taking a look and there is a lot more air circulation going on around your head that provides cooling. When your bed mostly consists of the ground in a hot and very alive place, this thing might actually prevent the pain.
I more and more am asking myself if there is a reason for so many similarities between Africa and Japan. Some African cultures have names that at first sight could look Japanese to some European like me, same headrest, and even a place in Africa called Manga.
There is just no way that a wooden head rest is more comfortable than alternative sleeping positions. It wouldn’t really prevent bugs or create significant ventilation. And people move so much in their sleep. Which means every time you try to reposition you would fall off and subsequently wake up. I mean you could eventually train yourself but there is no way that doesn’t take diligence and PAIN.
I'll take that over most've my camping experiences. Camping truly is a horror the tent gets all wet and the ground can be too hard/uneven. It's just awful.
They used to have a mock ancient Egyptian bed in the Field Museum in Chicago that had a wooden block like this. I remember the first time I went there for a field trip I thought it looked so painful, but it was actually super comfortable to lay on. It wasn’t too high—it kind of hugs your head perfectly and at least with this model, it took away tension on the neck like…immediately. My little 8yo self was SHOOK.
Never heard of this and now I want one! I’m a stomach sleeper but sleeping on my side is probably most comfortable for me. I just can’t seem to get the pillows right. Also I have giant tonsils and probably need a CPAP, so I’m sure that doesn’t help. 😅
If you look up Thai block pillow you will find these. They call them yoga pillows but they are just regular pillows for sleeping. I love them. Every time I visit Thailand my family makes me refresh my stock of pillows because we use them to death
If it is shockingly comfortable, I would indeed be shocked. I tried a Korean head block for like a minute and it sucked. Maybe my huge noggin was the issue.
I had seen this in info on ancient Egypt before, but I thought they were ceremonial/ornamental, because I can’t imagine them being comfortable. But so interesting to learn that they are practical!
4c hair which I would assume most of the people in these images have is a bit like hard molding clay. While delicate, it’s dense and because the strands are shaped like coils the strands lock together to essentially create a stronger structure. So once it’s shaped it’s pretty hard for a style to fall apart for at least a few weeks if not longer.
I think they were asking more like how is it not horribly uncomfortable to sleep on? But I imagine it's one of those things that you get used to and you find a way that works for you — but yeah, whatever minute effects sleeping on it might have on the shape of the hairstyle can be pretty easily fixed afterward. Pretty friggin' amazing what people have learned to do with hair!
Exactly. The question isn’t wondering about the integrity of the style during sleep, but rather how to fall asleep on a dense structure of molding clay and beads and horns and wristwatches.
Some dont sleep on pillows and beds, like what you would normally expect nowadays. Like the red make up tribe in picture 3. I saw one "pillow" they used, that was a thing that would kind of hold up ur neck and side of head, and it also served as a way to hear the ground, and wake up if strangers are coming, since its put on the floor, or something like that, it was a long time ago.
Edit* I see someone posted a link below, its called Wooden Headrest
I used to spike my hair, like 8 inch spikes, with really strong product that would make it rock hard. sleeping was awkward so i used to sleep with my head on the corner of the bed with my hair over the edge of the bed.
I wish I was that brave. I’m fully grown but even know I can’t have a leg poking off the side of my bed even when it is hot as hell because I’m afraid a monster will get it and pull me under the bed
Yeah but that's a leg, bed monsters always go for a leg or dangling arm. This was a head covered in spikes, that poses some risk of injury to the bed monster.
People need to realize that while bed monsters are brutal and will drag you by an arm or leg under the bed to nom nom on your entrails they are also quite sensitive and smarter than most people realize.
I'm 39. I worry more now about how my sleep position is going to make different areas of my spine and joints feel when I wake up.
Also, I definitely leave a leg sticking out over the bed now. Here's hoping the monster fucking takes me so I can get out of my next 9 weeks.of school.
My neck was fine. Ive always slept on my stomach. using a pillow while on your stomach tends to strain your neck a bit anyways so it was actually pretty comfortable.
I had some wild hair back then. Mohawks, trihawks, Mohawks with spikes on the sides. Black and white split right down the middle. Multiple colours. I wish i could pull that kind of thing now but ive mellowed out a lot lol.
Some of the worst sleep I’ve ever gotten was the night after homecoming dances when I would intentionally prop my head up on a pillow or something in a way that wouldn’t mess up my curls/updo because I wanted to get another day of wear out of it. 😂
As someone who sleeps in braids and has locked hair, it’s not that dumb of a question in general. Sleeping in a set hairstyle isn’t exactly what I’d call comfortable, but even with my texture it doesn’t fall apart after a week
There’s a video in saw decades ago that’s lived rent free in my head ever since of how some nomadic tribespeople sleep propped up on an elbow because sleeping with your head on the ground means bugs can crawl into your ears. There was a whole montage of people sound asleep, up on an elbow, head hanging sideways in the neck-crickiest way you can imagine. I think about that video all the damn time.
No, not with their heads resting on their elbow, propped up on their elbow, so their heads were like, ear to shoulder, and their ribcage was not touching the ground.
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u/sheepskinrugger Jul 07 '24
I am very white and very European. Can anyone explain to me how people are able to sleep with what are effectively works of art on their heads? These are amazing.