The Rabbit Hole
That night, instead of sleeping, I opened my laptop and started searching for what Miller had mentioned. I expected to find fringe theories and wild claims. Instead, I found a surprisingly large community of people—minimalists, athletes, and posture enthusiasts—experimenting with firmer sleeping surfaces.
The idea wasn’t presented as a medical treatment, but as a lifestyle experiment. Many people shared personal stories about feeling more supported, waking up less stiff, or becoming more aware of their posture. A common theme kept appearing: for most of human history, people didn’t sleep on thick mattresses at all.
The logic was simple and observational, not clinical. Our ancestors slept on firm ground with only light padding. Modern mattresses, by contrast, are a very recent invention. I wasn’t reading promises of cures—I was reading accounts of people paying closer attention to how their bodies responded to different sleeping environments.
I closed my laptop and stared at my expensive mattress. I wasn’t looking for a miracle. I was just curious. And curiosity felt safer than desperation.