A question for all us Sailors

[Bilgerat]

Is it just me?

I realize that I'm older, but I'm having some back issues lately.

I remember fondly the racks we all slept in on board ship, with the thin padding and steel foundation. No back issues then.

When we're in our R/V, we sleep on a good mattress, but it's backed up with a thick plywood foundation. No issues for me there either.

Our bed is a firm, but the Lady is concerned that I'm not getting the rest I could be getting.

I ordered one of those "My Pillow Toppers", so I guess we'll see if that helps.

[aboutime]

I can attest to sleeping in our RACK, on a 3 inch, so-called mattress for so many years. I had two major spinal surgeries while on active duty, and both (I suspect) had something to do with being so tired after long watches...standing up, in Radio, and Quarterdeck Watches as OOD in all kinds of weather. 4 Hours at a time, with CORFAM, shiny dress shoes that were lousy for foot protection.
My first spinal operation took place after our P.T. on the flight deck of the USS Nassau in Dubai, during Operation Desert Storm, aboard the USNS MERCY hospital ship, in the Persian Gulf 1991.

Take care of supporting your Neck, more than your Back. A good pillow works, even if you sleep on a board. After all. The Neck is the top of your SPINE.

[Elessar]

My knees and back are wrecked....some from athletics, but a lot from standing on metal decks in those horrid
issued boondockers! I went and purchased other steel-toed boots that had some cushioning.

My suggestion for your back is to roll up a beach towel - not tightly - but roll it up and place it
under your lower back of a night, just above the hips. That keeps the natural curvature to your spine intact.
Then use another pillow to elevate your head a bit, relieving the strain even more.

Daytime or when not sleeping, a heating pad helps a lot.

Believe me! I feel your pain!

[Gunny]

It's the steel deck, and never getting off of it. It has ZERO give. This sounded dumb to me until I thought about it. Why run in the street? Asphalt has more give than cement (sidewalks). Duh. Makes sense. That steel deck doesn't give a "hair". Most career Sailors I've known have back problems, and some Marines.

Falling into the latter group, the majority of us don't have any knees left especially we older ones that had to run in those Vietnam leftover combat boots. My back's okay. I've needed surgery on my right knee for years and I suspect my left doesn't hurt only because I can't feel the pain for the right. Ankles are jacked.

Just for kicks you can throw in our sea time. Seeing how many steps up the ladderwell you could launch from to the next platform down sliding down the rails. Running laps on the deck before flight hours. The Marine in the rack below mine on the Pelleilu (3rd rack up) used to pinball to the deck every night. Don't know how he could roll enough to manage that but he did it regularly. I imagine that didn't feel good. Couldn't have hurt THAT dude's IQ

but every fall, every time you slam into the deck or the bulkhead, your body is taking 100% of the impact. There's no give and no mercy in that ship.

[Elessar]

You're right. Steel and aluminum decks have no 'give and take'.
Fiberglass is not much better. Wooden ones are not bad, but
they are very rare these day - too high maintenance!

CG got away from running in boondockers when I was senior
instructor at the USCG Gym in Cape May. The complaints of knee,
back, and neck pains diminished dramatically.

It looks good, running in boots as a squad/company, but the end result
will be skeletal damage over the long term. Shin splints were also
caused by running in these. That upright 'marching' stance was bad, too because
it made you land on your heels and not allow the weight to be absorbed by
the balls of your feet.

There are some much better ones on the market these days that will
suit uniform regulations.

[Gunny]

You're right. Steel and aluminum decks have no 'give and take'.
Fiberglass is not much better. Wooden ones are not bad, but
they are very rare these day - too high maintenance!

CG got away from running in boondockers when I was senior
instructor at the USCG Gym in Cape May. The complaints of knee,
back, and neck pains diminished dramatically.

It looks good, running in boots as a squad/company, but the end result
will be skeletal damage over the long term. Shin splints were also
caused by running in these. That upright 'marching' stance was bad, too because
it made you land on your heels and not allow the weight to be absorbed by
the balls of your feet.

There are some much better ones on the market these days that will
suit uniform regulations.

We were no allowed to deviate in any way, shape, nor form from the issue combat boot issued during the Vietnam war until the 90s with one exception: Overseas in FMF units you could run down to Saigon Sam's and get some green jungle boots. They weren't allowed back here. Oh yeah, jump qualified Marines could wear the Army style Corcoran "jump boots".

In the early 90s they started letting us wear black jungle boots (same as the green ones) then around 95-ish they went the way of the other services and said we could wear anything that met USMC clothing regulation standards. Had a pair of Danner's the next day. Was too late for those of us in my era though. Damage was done.

Desert boots were organizational issue. If your unit bought them, you had them. I never thought anything about it except we were wearing green jungle boots in Kuwait at first (that's when they first came up with the black jungle boots idea), and half the units were in Army or Air Force chocolate chip cammies and the rest in woodland ones. I hate organizational issue. Once I pinned on SSgt I went and bought my own desert shit. Anyway, the OI boots were just tan versions of black/green jungle boots.

Two slabs of rubber with some canvas to hold them to your feet. I could run 3 miles in 22 minutes in them. We thought we were indestructible and never going to get old

[Bilgerat]

Yesterday we received the "My Pillow" topper for the bed along with two free pillows. It was deployed forthwith.

Got up this A/M with the back not complaining. In fact, the Lady stated that I hardly moved at all during the night.

The experiment will continue.

And thanks all for your opinions.

[Gunny]

Yesterday we received the "My Pillow" topper for the bed along with two free pillows. It was deployed forthwith.

Got up this A/M with the back not complaining. In fact, the Lady stated that I hardly moved at all during the night.

The experiment will continue.

And thanks all for your opinions.

Holy Kee-RAP! Can't wait to see what @High_Plains_Drifter thinks of THIS development

[Elessar]

Yesterday we received the "My Pillow" topper for the bed along with two free pillows. It was deployed forthwith.

Got up this A/M with the back not complaining. In fact, the Lady stated that I hardly moved at all during the night.

The experiment will continue.

And thanks all for your opinions.

Good for you! My son, the DPT, might be interested in this individual solution!

[Bilgerat]

Good for you! My son, the DPT, might be interested in this individual solution!

I'm still skeptical, but this was the first morning (in a while) that I did feel like I slept better.

Keep an eye out for the commercials, they do have a code that drops the price 30% and chips in two free pillows.

aboutime said to support my neck with a good pillow. The firm pillow they sent was very nice!

[Abbey Marie]

I'm still skeptical, but this was the first morning (in a while) that I did feel like I slept better.

Keep an eye out for the commercials, they do have a code that drops the price 30% kand chips in two free pillows.

aboutime said to support my neck with a good pillow. The firm pillow they sent was very nice!

Let us us know if the mattress topper continues to help. I know someone who could use a solution.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I realize the My Pillow guy is a US made product, but then again, they are in leftist Minnesota, but the sheer amount of IN YOUR FACE COMMERCIALS I've seen for this shit is enough to make me buy one of those fucking pillows just so I can PISS on it and BURN IT. I don't care if it's GOD'S GIFT TO HUMANS, I just get OVERLOADED watching this clown on TV with his PILLOW COMMERCIALS. He started out holding one pumping it up and down as he talked like he was rocking a fucking BABY. First time you see the commercial, fine, second time, OK, third time, alright, I get it, you're selling a damn pillow, the ZILLIONENTH time I see your commercial, I want to KICK YOU IN THE FACE and STUFF YOUR PILLOW UP YOUR ASS.

I used to sleep ON THE CONCRETE RAMP under an F-16 in the shade at Nellis AFB, I used a T.O. for a PILLOW, (technical order binder). Hell I've slept on more floors than I care to remember. I can sleep in a chair, on the couch, in my bed or in my car, I don't care. When I'm tired I'm out... and I don't need no clowns damn PILLOW. I'll roll up my PANTS and use them as a pillow.

[Elessar]

I used to sleep ON THE CONCRETE RAMP under an F-16 in the shade at Nellis AFB, I used a T.O. for a PILLOW, (technical order binder). Hell I've slept on more floors than I care to remember. I can sleep in a chair, on the couch, in my bed or in my car, I don't care. When I'm tired I'm out... and I don't need to clowns damn PILLOW. I'll roll up my PANTS and use them as a pillow.

When in the Gulf of Mexico where the water temps were 86F, I used to pull my 3" mattress,
my poncho liner, and sleep on the gun mount, using a rolled up towel as a pillow.

[Bilgerat]

I realize the My Pillow guy is a US made product, but then again, they are in leftist Minnesota, but the sheer amount of IN YOUR FACE COMMERCIALS I've seen for this shit is enough to make me buy one of those fucking pillows just so I can PISS on it and BURN IT. I don't care if it's GOD'S GIFT TO HUMANS, I just get OVERLOADED watching this clown on TV with his PILLOW COMMERCIALS. He started out holding one pumping it up and down as he talked like he was rocking a fucking BABY. First time you see the commercial, fine, second time, OK, third time, alright, I get it, you're selling a damn pillow, the ZILLIONENTH time I see your commercial, I want to KICK YOU IN THE FACE and STUFF YOUR PILLOW UP YOUR ASS.

I used to sleep ON THE CONCRETE RAMP under an F-16 in the shade at Nellis AFB, I used a T.O. for a PILLOW, (technical order binder). Hell I've slept on more floors than I care to remember. I can sleep in a chair, on the couch, in my bed or in my car, I don't care. When I'm tired I'm out... and I don't need no clowns damn PILLOW. I'll roll up my PANTS and use them as a pillow.

You know, if you keep holding this in you'll get an ulcer

[Bilgerat]

With all deference to High Plains, morning two of this grand experiment is also a pleasant experience.

The pains I have been experiencing are greatly reduced with less tossing & turning