Grandad spends 14 years camped in garden

A grandfather-of-three says he has spent almost 14 years sleeping in a hammock in his garden.

David Priestley, 68, discovered outdoor sleeping helped soothe chronic back pain and keep his sinuses clear.

The former RAF armourer, from Lincoln, thinks conventional indoor sleeping is "overrated", adding: "We're all animals and we've become indoctrinated to sleeping indoors".

Mr Priestley, who has turned his bedroom into a workshop, said he "doesn't care what the neighbours think" because he is "happy and healthy".

Mr Priestley told how he first encountered the benefits of hammock sleeping while on a 2010 camping trip.

"I had three prolapsed discs," he said. "But when I came back from this camping trip, which involved sleeping in a hammock, I felt so much better. So I strung one up in the garden."

Mr Priestley had been due to undergo surgery but this was cancelled as his symptoms improved.

Mr Priestley believes bedrooms are "full of dust".

"Before, I was waking up with my nostrils full of gunk," he said.

He estimates he has spent fewer than five weeks indoors over the past 14 years.

"I had to sleep indoors when I dislocated my shoulder while skiing," he said. "I couldn't get in my hammock."

Mr Priestley said he takes a hammock with him when visiting friends.

"I'll look on Google Earth to identify a forest area," he said.

Even a lack of trees does not stop him getting his al fresco sleep.

"I've been known to string out a hammock between a lamp post and the roof rack on my van," he said.

Mr Priestley, who is currently going through a divorce, said his wife used to occasionally enjoy the odd camping trip but preferred to sleep indoors in a bed at home.

"When I moved out of the family home a few weeks ago, I thought to myself, 'David - it's time to grow up', so I bought myself a bed. I lasted four nights.

"I was then back down at the hardware store buying some wood to build a frame for the hammock.

"I sleep so much better outdoors."

When it comes to staying warm, Mr Priestley said less is often more.

"Usually I'm just in my boxers and a t-shirt," he said. "People, when they're sleeping outdoors, think they have to wear lots of clothes. They don't. You keep warm by ensuring there are air pockets, not crushing the fabric."

Mr Priestley said people often ask why he "bothers with a house".

"I just don't sleep in a house," he said. "I've turned my bedroom into a workshop. My living room, kitchen and bathroom are like any other."

Mr Priestley said sleeping outdoors had opened up the world of nature to him.

"I've even woken up to find a badger searching for worms and slugs under the hammock," he said.

Dr Lindsay Browning, who holds a doctorate in insomnia from the University of Oxford, said sleeping outdoors was not "scientifically recommended", citing temperature, lighting and "intrusive animal noises".

She added: "Most people would find the unhelpful aspects outweigh the helpful aspects.

"But if it works for David, then absolutely brilliant."

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