Top bed, which way round?

[Keith Smith]

Well, as a confirmed "sleep downstairer", I was forced to try the upstairs option following the tragic demise of my favourite airbed.

I have now slept both ways.

I have no problem with the claustrophobia, what I do have a problem with is the light position.

Sleeping head-first to the hatch filled me with complete illogical trepidation, sliding head first into a crumpled undignified heap on the front seat, but spookie's suggestion of raising the head end of the mattress has proved brilliant.

Sleeping head to the hatch has problems for me as I may need to make a very quick exit. No, it's not a woman age-thing, it's cramp. I am prone to nocturnal cramp in my calf muscles, especially if I have been doing a lot of running or hill walking. The only remedy is within seconds getting the foot of the affected leg on a hard surface and putting all my weight on it, otherwise it's excruciating pain and possibly a calf muscle in spasm for the next couple of days. Extricating myself from upstairs, head to the hatch position, would be difficult.

Tonight will be the test. Walked the 12 miles between Westward Ho and Clovelly and legs feel like lumps of knotted iron.

Drinking tonic water, with or without alcoholic fortification, normally cures bouts of cramp. It's the quinine that does it!

 

[Cali_Campers]

I've changed a few times but now its definitely head to the front as there is more space I think.

 

[Flood51]

Sleeping head to the hatch has problems for me as I may need to make a very quick exit. No, it's not a woman age-thing, it's cramp. I am prone to nocturnal cramp in my calf muscles, especially if I have been doing a lot of running or hill walking. The only remedy is within seconds getting the foot of the affected leg on a hard surface and putting all my weight on it, otherwise it's excruciating pain and possibly a calf muscle in spasm for the next couple of days.

GJ I also have this nocturnal cramp thing occassionally and the cure I found was either placing the foot on the floor as you do or more easily I stretch the tendons by moving my foot inline with the leg and then up to an acute angle and this is faster and doesn't require touching the floor. Kills the cramp instantaneously. You have to be fast though and get it before the full onset otherwise you in pain for some hours I agree.

Which reminds me when I was younger and heavily under the influence I use to have to put one foot out of the bed onto the floor to stop my head spinning and getting a dizzy feeling. Of course I have since "trained" my body to get over this annoying and unpleasant feeling.

 

[ejmoore]

We sleep with our heads at the open end - the little shelves on which the lowered roof would sit are good for putting your watch, water bottle etc. I like a cup of tea in the morning & sit up sideways to drink it, leaning against the side struts.

 

[Leo K]

Either way, but always head-up/feet-down (too lazy for ramps, except in extreme cases). Took some time to get used to the narrow end, though. Prefer upstairs when single and not too cold.

 

[briwy]

Think you either need huge feet or very small head to do anything other than head to the front. Understand your cramp though Jen same here at times.

 

[GrannyJen]

Well, it has all been a pleasant voyage of discovery for me.

Thanks to a disastrous, nearly explosive, decompression of my airbed, and following all the helpful advice gleaned from this thread, I can say:

Head to the front, with mattress raised, is very comfortable.

I was pleasantly warm despite being in the colder roof space as an airbed can be quite cold to sleep on.

I found the Mattress quite firm but not too firm.

I survived the "heavy rain - no roof topper" capillary action: no water ingress from rubbing on the roof canvas.

I slept well, the only interruption being the 06.15 arrival of the number 19 bus from Bideford to Appledore. I was parked up in Torridge DC Churchfields car park and had chosen a nice bay but only two spots away from where the bus turns round . Those reversing alarms can be quite intrusive at that time of the morning.

@briwy The "escape" time from onset of cramp to foot on the floor is not quick enough. Fortunately only a simulated exercise, but I would have experienced all-day spasm by the time I extricated myself from the head to front position. Clearly something needs to be worked on but I have a cunning plan consisting of a firm platform resting on the seats.

 

[marchugo]

@GJ. As for cramp, apart from drinking pickles water nightly, putting 2.3 Oz of salt in your socks, and/or burying a file (make sure it's iron) under the mattress right under your knees, I can remember keeping a three meter long shawl ready upstairs in the bunk, putting it around the cramping foot, pulling hard with two hands. Really works. The shawl I mean.

Unconvulsive regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[GrannyJen]

Drinking tonic water, with or without alcoholic fortification, normally cures bouts of cramp. It's the quinine that does it!

It does nothing for me, sadly

 

[GrannyJen]

@GJ. As for cramp, apart from drinking pickles water nightly, putting 2.3 Oz of salt in your socks, and/or burying a file (make sure it's iron) under the mattress right under your knees, I can remember keeping a three meter long shawl ready upstairs in the bunk, putting it around the cramping foot, pulling hard with two hands. Really works. The shawl I mean.

Unconvulsive regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

Thank you Marc,

I do keep tape for just that purpose,

The best thing that I find is the sports supplement High5 zero's, which are basically electrolyte replacement. I take them when I'm running anyway.

however,

last night was hell

Self-inflicted, went out for dinner with friends, a glass too much, dehydration, cramp

 

[Keith Smith]

It does nothing for me, sadly

Not even with gin!
My better half was prescribed quinine by our doc when she had it really bad, if you haven't tried a higher dose than you get in tonic it may be worth a shot. Or you could try drinking milk, a calcium deficiency can cause cramp. Worth trying everything because I can vouch for the excruciating pain associated with it.

 

[estresao]

If you are sleeping with the head at the narrow side, and have one of those nightmares you wake up suddenly, could be much better if you wear a helmet.

 

[Sue Ashmore]

We are new to the Cali. This is funny, we assumed you slept head up narrow end, I hated it and was really regretting our choice of camper. It was claustrophobic and my neck was really achy, also bumped my head and struggled to get in and out. Last evening I suggested we mix it up, we then laughed ridiculously as we realised that’s the way it should be! I had the best nights sleep of the holiday!

 

[Ozzy Pete]

We have tried both and find for us the head to the narrow end is the best. When you have to get up in the middle of the night for a pee and try to turn round kicking your partner in the face and losing the pillows downstairs . We both agree it’s the best for us .

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

We have tried both and find for us the head to the narrow end is the best. When you have to get up in the middle of the night for a pee and try to turn round kicking your partner in the face and losing the pillows downstairs . We both agree it’s the best for us .

Same for us, much easier.

 

[sidepod]

Crikey! Another way to divide the forum population, this week we have remainers and brexiters, beachbabies and oceanites and now toppers and tailers.

….pro/anti Biden as sub categories on there.

 

[GrannyJen]

Oh I do love resurrected threads!!

A reminder of my "airbed" experiment when I tried using an airbed downstairs

What fun! Trying to find the puncture in Barton upon humber, broken pump in Barnsley and explosive decompression in Bideford

A very short-lived experiment

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Oh I do love resurrected threads!!

A reminder of my "airbed" experiment when I tried using an airbed downstairs

What fun! Trying to find the puncture in Barton upon humber, broken pump in Barnsley and explosive decompression in Bideford

A very short-lived experiment

Don’t you have the memory foam mattress for downstairs?

 

[GrannyJen]

Don’t you have the memory foam mattress for downstairs?

yes. I've tried everything downstairs. My first cali came with a vw comfort mattress which I found as hard as nails, then the one from comfortz - which is now my choice, plus airbeds, SIM's, toppers on toppers .......

The airbed one was most amusing. Saved lots of space, fitted perfectly downstairs (Aerobed single), was an absolute pain to blow up, freezing cold in winter and would find any pointed object within 100 miles to impale itself on!

 

[Ozzy Pete]

yes. I've tried everything downstairs. My first cali came with a vw comfort mattress which I found as hard as nails, then the one from comfortz - which is now my choice, plus airbeds, SIM's, toppers on toppers .......

The airbed one was most amusing. Saved lots of space, fitted perfectly downstairs (Aerobed single), was an absolute pain to blow up, freezing cold in winter and would find any pointed object within 100 miles to impale itself on!

In 6 years we have only ever slept “Downstairs “ twice and that was because of horrendous weather. Found the comfort mattress ok but not as comfortable as the “Upstairs” bed. Also downstairs we find is a bit narrow for 2. Also up you can keep the bed made up when on site. Down is a bit of a faf.

 

[Polomint]

As we don't have levelling blocks, it depends which end of the van is tipped down. Usually head to narrow end for us. Have to caterpillar impression to get far enough to front of the cali to get out of sleeping bag. Wonder what the campsite neighbours think as the van rocks on its springs?

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Oh I do love resurrected threads!!

A reminder of my "airbed" experiment when I tried using an airbed downstairs

What fun! Trying to find the puncture in Barton upon humber, broken pump in Barnsley and explosive decompression in Bideford

A very short-lived experiment

I had an explosive decompression after dining on Seafood Chowder at Rick Steins in Padstow many years ago!! :-(

 

[Elly Swanson]

As we don't have levelling blocks, it depends which end of the van is tipped down. Usually head to narrow end for us. Have to caterpillar impression to get far enough to front of the cali to get out of sleeping bag. Wonder what the campsite neighbours think as the van rocks on its springs?

We’re head at the small end too. Much easier to get down for a tinkle in the night, without disturbing my hubby, doing “the caterpillar”.

If you wear pants or pj bottoms when getting back in you do have to devise an extra little action to keep them up, but it soon becomes intuitive .

 

[Bellcrew]

We’re head at the small end too. Much easier to get down for a tinkle in the night, without disturbing my hubby, doing “the caterpillar”.

If you wear pants or pj bottoms when getting back in you do have to devise an extra little action to keep them up, but it soon becomes intuitive .

Sleeping bags, why? A king sized down duvet removes all of the faff, even lighter than a feather.
Of course one woman's meat is another's poison.

 

[Elly Swanson]

Sleeping bags, why? A king sized down duvet removes all of the faff, even lighter than a feather.
Of course one woman's meat is another's poison.

Hi Bellcrew. We don’t use sleeping bags. My hubby and I have different single covers. Hubby has a 7 tog quilt and I have a thin cover and if cold add a blanket.

The “caterpillar“ describes the type of movement I do to get to the hole, without disturbing my hubby.

@Polomint, above, does use a sleeping bag though. Too faffy for me and far too hot, plus I like to stick my bum out!