Sleeping mats - 凉席

[roddy]

Does anyone else out there use a 凉席, or sleeping mat? Usually made out of bamboo, something like this. I'd toyed with the idea of getting one in the past to make it easier to sleep during Beijing's hot summer nights (and, ahem, afternoons) but always just ended up turning the air-con on and moaning about the heat.

Anyway, the supermarket has a load of cheap ones, with thin strips of bamboo rather than the squares shown in the pic, so I picked one up to give it a shot - and I'm loving it. Much cooler for sleeping on, and although it feels a little odd at first you get used to it pretty quickly.

Not sure how popular these actually are - they must sell enough to justify having them in the supermarket, but all the Chinese people I ask say they either use air-con, don't find them comfortable, or warn me that I'm going to catch a cold. Never seen them outside of China, but it's not like I've been that many places, and back home keeping cool is usually the least of problems.

[赫杰]

Oh yeah, I used them, though not currently using them now. The weather has been pretty freaking awesome here in Wuhan. One day it got into the mid 30s, but overall its been much cooler than usual. I've only used the AC once this summer, and it was for like 10 minutes.

Anyway, tons of Wuhanese use 凉席 and I recommend it too!

[Outofin]

I think everyone used it when we didn't have air conditioners.

The one in your picture looks nice. Some sleeping mats made of bamboo are too stiff. Soft 草席 are more comfortable.

[skylee]

I do. Since last year. At home, I don't use air con at all. Partly because I wanted to save cost (no longer necessary as for me electricity is now free), partly because it always got too cold at the middle of the night. Without air con I didn't sleep well in summer at all. The mat has helped. It's cooler than sleeping on a mattress. And I sleep better now.

Mine is an "indonesian masin rattan mat". Very tightly knitted and soft and comfortable to sleep on. But it is quite expensive. People say that it can last for decades. Not sure if it is true.

BTW, the word in traditional script is 蓆, with the grass top.

[Senzhi]

soft and comfortable

Question: do you folks use them on top of your bed/mattress or simply on the floor?

I've tried them, and sorry, but no, I don't find them comfortable at all. I'm the type of guy that needs to sink to fall asleep. Gently, softly.

Neither can I stand airco at night: noisy (at least mine is ... and I do have sensitive ears, even after three years of honking and ringing tones).

At night my sleeping environment is quiet, so I usually open all windows to create some kind of draft. For me this helps a lot.

Of course, the air is (a little) cleaner here too. And as time of writing, Shantou temperature stands at 27 degrees.

And I should be in bed by now too.

[skylee]

I use it on top of the bed/mattress. I don't sleep on the floor.

[roddy]

I've actually got mine on top of the quilt as well - my bed's pretty hard though. The mat is more or less like this, strips instead of squares. I can see you can also get leather ones, but not sure I like that idea.

I probably don't quite need mine yet, as it's not that hot, but the last summer I spent in Beijing (2006) I was making heavy use of the air-con overnight, which isn't ideal.

[Meng Lelan]

Somebody send me one of those please. 98 F in San Antonio and it's only June. Please, send one....

[roddy]

This might do the trick . . .

[Meng Lelan]

...must order on eBay...gasp...must order...gasp...谢...谢.....gasp....for the link....

[zhwj]

The ones made of grass may be softer, but they'll make your room smell like grass for the whole summer (and the next summer, and the next...) The bamboo mats smell strongly like bamboo for a few weeks but then they recede to a more subtle aroma.

Woven pillows are good in the summer, too. (They even sell plastic ones that'll do in a pinch). Supports your head and neck without wrapping you in insulating cloth.

[gougou]

I remember those from the first time I came to China, when I was staying in Zhuhai. For the first ten minutes, the mat was nice and cool, but after that, it had completely absorbed all my body heat and was not so pleasant to lie on anymore.

Maybe still cooler than without, so I probably should give it a shot. I don't use aircons for environmental reasons and have had quite a few hot nights...

[roddy]

It must be - at the very least you've got to have more air circulating under you. Not sure what they'll be like if the weather's actually hot / humid enough that you are sweating though, I can seem them being a bit unpleasant.

I'm trying to limit air-con use this year, and just use it on fan mode when possible. I've got a nice ceiling fan in the lounge, which is fantastic - every room should have one, I reckon.

New reason for not using one: 'They make your skin like a snake'

[liuzhou]

Coincidentally, I just bought a new one this morning.

When I was first offered one I thought, "Don't be ridiculous." But now, I swear by it. Better than lying in a puddle of sweat every night.

On top of mattress is one of those large sleeping towels, mat on top of that, me on top of that. Sweat drips through the mat into the towel which is washed regularly. At least once every summer!

I can't stand air conditioning. A fan is much better.

[roddy]

There's such a thing as a sleeping towel? The wonders of this world never cease.

The ones made of grass may be softer, but they'll make your room smell like grass for the whole summer

Better than smelling of me . . .

[skylee]

I don't use aircons for environmental reasons and have had quite a few hot nights...

Yes, to be friendly to the earth is a very good reason for not using air-con. I've stopped using it for over 10 years now. My landlord as usual provides an air-conditioner in each room, but instead I use my electric fans, open the windows, and sleep on a ratten mat. To be honest, in high summer the heat is quite hard to bear, but one gets used to it.

It is generally believed that if everybody stops using air-con, it wouldn't be so hot.

[peekay]

They're very popular in other parts of Asia as well (Malaysia and Indonesia especially). For me, they don't help cool things down at all... something about laws of physics being violated. (I also hate the AC, so I just turn on the fan.)

In the past they're usually placed right on the floor (when people couldn't afford carpets or any other bedding); nowadays I think people mainly buy them to use outdoors (for picnics, etc.)

[Lu]

I used to have one like the one on Ebay. But last time around in TW, I would turn on the airco for a while before going to bed, and then turn it off as I went to sleep. I don't like sleeping under a blowing airco either, but this way the room would be cool enough to fall asleep, and by the time it got really hot again in the morning I would just need to get up.

[芳芳]

Tiens, I just bought one last week. To put between my cheeks and some adventurous ants when I go reading on meadows outside. But now that I read people's experiences I might test it on my bed. Actually it's not the Mahjong's type, it is also the one with herbs bound together, might make a different kind of shapes on the skin in the morning. I haven't used it as matress yet mainly because of my boyfriend's speech of the trauma he had to sleep on that kind of stuff every summers of his childhood, but well, let's give a chance to the product, tonight, it's 凉席night.

I don't (try not to) use the air-con either, firstly for the environment and I totally agree with Skylee, if people didn't used it so much, the cities wouldn't be so hot (I was terrified when I inspected my huge air-con that the landlord left me in my living room, these evil things need 5000-6000W to make cold -and all the cold you produce, you produce the same in heating on the other side of the wall). I admit that if I had a look at the air conditionner yesterday because I used it for a while, it was freaking hot in nanjing those past 2 days. Now I will try not to use it and have a shower every 30mn. I even considered giving a shower to my cats that looked like dying on the floor because of the heat.

[skylee]

Now I will try not to use it and have a shower every 30mn. I even considered giving a shower to my cats that looked like dying on the floor because of the heat.

Frequent showers (for oneself, not the cat) is a good idea. Put the cat in the wash basin (without water) and it should feel better. My old cat used to like sleeping in the sink.