Reasons to NOT sit on a soft couch or chair

United States
July 12, 2017 6:38pm CST
Now some of you may know this already, or may have noticed it, but I'd like to post on it anyway, as it may be of some help to you. We all have had, at one time or another, the experience of reclining into a very comfortable chair or couch and feeling the "aah, that's so comfortable" moment when you sink into it and start to relax. But you couldn't pay me to sit in one of those for any length of time, and here's why: You may have noticed that shortly after sitting or resting in furniture like this, you begin to get sleepy - sometimes really sleepy. We've been conditioned to think that it's because the furniture is so comfortable that this is happening. But that isn't actually the reason. The reason is that the soft nature of the material makes it hug your body very closely. This causes your nerves to be slightly pinched. And the longer you sit in the soft recliner or couch, the more pinched your nerves will get, until it feels like the oxygen to your head is being taken out, to the point of falling asleep. This isn't so bad if you happen to want to fall asleep - except for the fact that for awhile afterward you will feel absolutely spaced out of your mind, and it will take some time for your nerves to bounce back to their original configuration. I'm relating this as someone who has had nerve sensitivities. As such it became a bit more apparent to me than it would to the average person, but it still holds true. This goes for soft beds as well. You will wake up spaced out! And until you try something different (a much firmer bed or even the floor, which I prefer) you may never know the difference or the effect it is having on you. Years ago I used to sit on the soft couch every night and watch a couple shows on tv until I got sleepy. Once I stopped doing that I noticed feeling a lot more clarity every day and had a much easier time getting up and being motivated. A firm chair to use at work (if you have a desk job) will also help greatly to keep you alert and focused.
3 people like this
6 responses
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
13 Jul 17
They also say we're supposed to squat when we go to the bathroom. I'm a rebel though, and continue to use the toilet.
1 person likes this
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
15 Jul 17
@LimeOtter I wasn't trying to be snarky. I've read that it's better for our colons if we squat instead of sit, to "go". Cornell professor Alexander Kira called the modern, sit-down toilet "the most ill-suited fixture ever designed." Kira believed—and subsequent studies have confirmed—that toilets work against our bodies by forcing us into unnatural angles when we sit down to defecate. The solution to hunched-over posture, Kira wrote, is squatting—a more natural position that opens the anal sphincter, moves the body's plumbing into proper alignment, and allows us to evacuate more freely. https://www.gillianb.com/ancient-indian-secret-to-better-poops/
You're supposed to squat when you poop. Did you hear me? Squatting. While pooping. Is the way to do it. Not this hunching-over thing you're doing now which takes forever and is not nature's way. Everyone else has figured it out and you are the
• United States
15 Jul 17
@Genipher Fascinating!
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Jul 17
I like to pee on the floor in the middle of the night (in the bathroom of course). I have to pee in the dark more or less because my gf gets woken up if I turn the light on.
@atoz1to10 (6781)
• Australia
13 Jul 17
I don't sit on a soft couch but I sit on my bed, and yes, sometimes I just fall asleep when working too, with my laptop still on my laps.
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• United States
14 Jul 17
I do hope you have a soft floor!
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@atoz1to10 (6781)
• Australia
14 Jul 17
@LimeOtter why? so if I fall off the bed I would be ok? Don't worry, I sit right in the middle of the bed...
• United States
14 Jul 17
@atoz1to10 No, in case your laptop falls off the bed. lol!
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@maezee (41997)
• United States
13 Jul 17
Its cool to hear some of the science or reasoning behind it. I have wondered. I try to avoid couches for this very purpose.
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@Genipher (5405)
• United States
13 Jul 17
I think it was more personal experience rather than science. It'd be interesting to see if there are actual studies done on this topic.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Jul 17
@maezee and @Genipher I'm not sure how many scientific reports have been done specifically on this. I think a good chiropractor would probably agree though, since I've gone to a few and they love to talk about pinched nerves. lol I can easily tell on myself because my eyes will also be very bloodshot, and once they return to normal the sleepy feeling goes away!
• Valdosta, Georgia
16 Jul 17
I'm getting sleepy just thinking about a comfy couch and chair!
1 person likes this
@prashu228 (37525)
• India
13 Jul 17
I am not feeling comfortable anymore sitting on soft couch.
• United States
14 Jul 17
lol!
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Jul 17
This chair is the furthest from comfortable in the world. Yes if I had comfort I would already be asleep here lol Thanks for the info Randy.
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• United States
14 Jul 17
I'm currently using an office type chair that has just a little bit of give - just enough to make it comfortable - but not enough to cause me a problem. I also drink a lot of coffee so that helps. I used to work deliveries for a company using a very large truck that had super soft seats and I kept almost falling asleep at the wheel no matter how much coffee I drank! I had to crank up the stereo really loud to help keep me awake! lol
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