I thought I would throw this in here just because it is a little bit different. Basically I am going to advocate the use of a hammock or a trampoline for sleeping in instead of a traditional bed. For the past three years I have been sleeping in a hammock. This worked great except they take up a lot of floor space so when I made the dome I decided to try using a trampoline base as the bed/second floor.
The main reason for this would be comfort... both hammocks (when used properly) and trampolines are extremely comfortable. I had to use a regular bed for three months and was sore for the first month then merely slept badly for the next two. Besides the comfort factor there is also the cost. A good hammock or trampoline is around $200 - $300, which compared to what a lot of my friends have spent on beds and mattresses is a bargain.
You also have to consider that when using a matteress you essentially have a 6+ inch thick blanket on the bottom part of your body. This means that in the summer you have to compensate by using air conditioning so that you don't overheat. With a hammock or trampoline there is only a thin layer of cloth under you. If you want it to be warm you can add blankets, but in the summer it will be substantially cooler saving you money on AC.
The main reason for this would be comfort... both hammocks (when used properly) and trampolines are extremely comfortable. I had to use a regular bed for three months and was sore for the first month then merely slept badly for the next two. Besides the comfort factor there is also the cost. A good hammock or trampoline is around $200 - $300, which compared to what a lot of my friends have spent on beds and mattresses is a bargain.
You also have to consider that when using a matteress you essentially have a 6+ inch thick blanket on the bottom part of your body. This means that in the summer you have to compensate by using air conditioning so that you don't overheat. With a hammock or trampoline there is only a thin layer of cloth under you. If you want it to be warm you can add blankets, but in the summer it will be substantially cooler saving you money on AC.
Hammocks
If you are thinking about going the hammock route, I would suggest a quilted hammock with spreader bars. Make sure that where the rope goes through the bar it is beveled so that it does not cut into the rope over time. You will need about 18ft to set it up indoors if you use the stand. The key is to sleep diagonally so that it flattens out allowing you to sleep mostly level. Also pull the hammock almost as tightly as possible to further reduce the curve. I sleep on my side mostly and have never had any trouble. When I was hiking the AT I used a hennesy-hammock instead of a tent and was very pleased with it. It does not have the spreader bars, but still manages to maintain a mostly flat bottom. I am not sure why anyone still uses a tent with these things around.
If you are thinking about going the hammock route, I would suggest a quilted hammock with spreader bars. Make sure that where the rope goes through the bar it is beveled so that it does not cut into the rope over time. You will need about 18ft to set it up indoors if you use the stand. The key is to sleep diagonally so that it flattens out allowing you to sleep mostly level. Also pull the hammock almost as tightly as possible to further reduce the curve. I sleep on my side mostly and have never had any trouble. When I was hiking the AT I used a hennesy-hammock instead of a tent and was very pleased with it. It does not have the spreader bars, but still manages to maintain a mostly flat bottom. I am not sure why anyone still uses a tent with these things around.
Trampolines
I have been sleeping on the trampoline at the top of this article for a couple of weeks now. So far it seems equally comfortable to the hammock. It is a lot tighter than I was expecting, I am a heavy guy and it only indents a couple of inches when I get in, however the tension is very even so there are no hard spots. I have it attached 8ft above the floor which is semi-transparent... this was a little distracting at first.
Because it is winter I have a bunch of blankets that I sleep on top of. In the summer I will probably just have a thin sheet. They make square trampolines if you were considering putting one in a standard room.
Both hammocks and trampolines have significant storage space underneath making them good for small spaces, and they are much easier to move. One thing that is probably worth mentioning is that they are quite heavy to ship. If you do order through amazon it would definitely be worth signing up for "amazon prime" which gives you free shipping for $80 a year.
I have been sleeping on the trampoline at the top of this article for a couple of weeks now. So far it seems equally comfortable to the hammock. It is a lot tighter than I was expecting, I am a heavy guy and it only indents a couple of inches when I get in, however the tension is very even so there are no hard spots. I have it attached 8ft above the floor which is semi-transparent... this was a little distracting at first.
Because it is winter I have a bunch of blankets that I sleep on top of. In the summer I will probably just have a thin sheet. They make square trampolines if you were considering putting one in a standard room.
Both hammocks and trampolines have significant storage space underneath making them good for small spaces, and they are much easier to move. One thing that is probably worth mentioning is that they are quite heavy to ship. If you do order through amazon it would definitely be worth signing up for "amazon prime" which gives you free shipping for $80 a year.