Instinctive Sleeping and Resting Postures (2000)

(This is my preferred type of pillow as well - an old, thin down one - and I can tell the difference when I sleep with or without it.)

That doesn't sound comfortable. I'd probably rather sleep on my arm than a pile of grass...

First, you might want to refresh your understanding of the scientific process. Its first step is "Observation/question." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method

Next, the acceptability of journal papers without conclusive experiments varies across fields. In some fields, such as observational sciences (e.g., astronomy, ecology, sociology), observational studies are common and valuable contributions to the literature. These studies often involve collecting and analyzing data from real-world observations, surveys, or existing datasets without the need for controlled experiments. In such cases, it is perfectly acceptable to publish papers based solely on observational data.

When you say, "is not enough," the question I respond with is "enough for what?" It's fully acceptable to publish a paper with observations in order to stimulate interest and encourage further research in the area. It's not necessary for a journal to require final results.

Finally, consider some of these famous and important papers which were published as observations without conclusive results. Should they have held back and waited until conclusive results were available?

1. Edwin Hubble's "A Relation between Distance and Radial Velocity among Extra-Galactic Nebulae"

2. Albert Einstein's "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity"

3. Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species"

I am a subject of the species Sapiens, genus Homo. Subject is a civilized example of the species. An unfortunate side-effect of being civilized is an encouragement to collect paper, with which subject is to trade for essential goods. The method subject has devised to collect these trade papers involves sitting on a soft yet sturdy apparatus and being bent at an approximately 90-degree angle at the hip and knee joints, and looking at a glowing rectangle while subject taps on a noisy set of squares.

Of the unfortunate side-effects of civilization, one is risk of injury. Of the several injuries subject has sustained in this pursuit (including to eyes, fingers, wrists, and elbows) is injury to subject's neck. In particular, a musculoskeletal injury of the muscles supporting the head on the spine, due to repeated stress from looking at a downard angle at glowing rectangle, as opposed to looking straight ahead.

This injury did result in up to 11 months of recuperation. During this time period, finding a way to rest the neck and head was extremely difficult and painful. After completing several weeks' worth of paper collection, some attempts were made at recuperation outside in nature. Upon attempting to sleep on the ground, rest was significantly painful and uncomfortable. Thus were attempted many months of trial and error at attempting to find positions with which to rest in a comfortable manner, while allowing the neck to heal.

At the end of recuperation, the result of attempts at finding resting positions was quite unexpected. Rest for this subject no longer requires (nor benefits from) pillows when side-sleeping, and back-sleeping is easier, though still not preferable. The explanation for this change appears to be an adaptation in musculoskeletal alignment when sleeping. This subject now acquires a particular alignment of head, neck, spine, shoulder, chest, back, and hips, that keeps any one body part from receiving undue strain. Sleep quality is consistent with sleep quality before injury, with the benefit of no longer needing props to assist in sleep quality.

The linked article's conclusion appears to be supported by subject's experience. Subject additionally notes that a single ear is enough to be alerted to most dangers. When sleeping outside, or in an enclosed cabin, such things as mice, deer, and the occasional canid, do tend to wake the subject, as well as odd sounds such as socks falling off the bed onto a plastic bag, or elastic bed sheet end-corners snapping upwards. Whether non-h.sapiens species are also alerted to the latter sounds with one ear open has not been formally evaluated.

This is so fascinating.

I slept (on my back) on the floor for a while. It was at times amazing—I would wake up and feel ready to go. Not like my muscles were weak or temporarily atrophied. Like, I didn’t know that was possible after a full nights sleep.

There seems to be so much potential in just reflecting on an considering what a “paleo” approach to something would be. And then you can just do that. You don’t even need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of supposedly ergonomic equipment. Just sleep in a funny-looking position. Just squat instead of sitting on a chair… if you can bare the social awkwardness or ridicule.

It’s so simple. Why do we make things complicated?

Well in part because “modern humans” cannot just do these things without becoming regarded as merely a modern human with eccentric hobbies. Because that’s what you get pegged as!—not as a modern human who rediscovered (through YouTube/the Web) some ancient wisdom but as a paleo-hipster, just another quirky modern human subculture.

And in part that is correct. You cannot be, say, a Western Buddhist who has all the know-how and experience of a born-in-the-culture (Asian) Buddhist. And in that same way you cannot become a non-modern… human.

But wait. Why would you want to? You are who you are. You may be a Buddhist from Scranton, PA who has no relation to Asian culture. Or an office worker who squats at the office. But why is that weird? Yeah you’re not a “real Buddhist” in that terribly essentialist sense, and you’re not a born-in-the-culture kind of human who has never used a chair. But why do you have to be that in order to make these (eccentric) choices for yourself? If it works for you, just go for it you paleo-hipster.