Many historians believe today’s traditional hammock was invented in Central and South America. Mayan tribes invented them about one thousand years ago when they slung ropes between two trees or poles. The original use was for sleeping. Historians know European explorers brought the concept of the hammock back to Europe from the Americas. Then, they came into popular use on ships for both sleeping comfort and because they take up less of the limited on-board space. Today, we use them underneath a shady tree to relax on a warm summer day. Or, we lie in it and read a with an iced cold drink nearby.

However, long before the Mayans or anyone in the Americas first slept in one, earlier cultures used a form of the hammock. Greek Athenian politician Alcibiades (450 – 404 B.C.)  first used a hammock for sleeping, thousands of years earlier. A specific description of the hanging bed is not known. Ancient writers from several cultures referred to hanging beds, too. And, during Medieval times, there are many references to hanging beds. 

In the 1590s, the British Royal Naval began using hammocks on their ships. In 1597, the British Navy officially referred to them as “cabbons” or “beddes”. By the early 1900s, navies around the world used them to save limited space. Non-commissioned seamen slept in hammocks stacked two or three high. After World War II, the U.S. Navy discontinued using hammocks. More and more onboard jobs were performed mechanically. As a result, each ship required fewer servicemen. So, regular cots or sleeping racks were installed.